Consequences to Being a White Knight
by Genevieve Kelly
Summary: Set between Eloise Gardener and One Little Tear, within Pretty in Blue. Rogers has finally rescued Eloise and he feels relieved, yet no one shares in his belief that saving her was good. Soon, the fallout begins and Weaver and Tilly must protect Rogers when threats against him arise. In the backstory, Hook is drowning upon losing all hope of saving Alice. Just after Knightfall.
1. Chapter 1

Consequences to Being a White Knight

Chapter One

 _In a small, magicless neighborhood deep within the heart of Seattle known as Hyperion Heights, Detective Rogers stepped out of his car to look for Victoria Belfrey, the corrupted CEO of Belfrey Developments using her phone's GPS coordinates in order to track her movements and carefully entered an old abandoned building with hope she would at last lead him to Eloise Gardener, a missing, seemingly innocent girl whose disappearance he blamed on himself even though as far as his cursed memories allowed him to know, Victoria had abducted her years ago._

 _He cautiously pulled his service weapon from its holster Rogers wore on his left hip in case it would become necessary to defend himself from whatever dangers might be awaiting him inside, then he climbed down a rickety metal stairwell to make his way into the building's basement and it wasn't long before he found the cruel woman a few feet ahead walking towards him from a storage room behind her._

 _Victoria was immediately startled by the younger detective's sudden appearance when he forcefully shouted, "Hey! Where is she?_ _Tell me… where is Eloise Gardener?"_

 _She obstinately shook her head as she attempted to lie to Rogers despite knowing she had finally been caught due to his never ending persistence to find the woman he had no idea was the true villain among them by stating, "Why, I have no idea what_ _you're talking about._ _And you need a warrant_ _to enter my property."_

 _"I'll have your badge for this," she added when she pulled out her phone to make a call until Rogers swiftly knocked it from her hand causing it to clatter against the floor once it hit._

 _"Now… you're not walking out of here_ _until I find her," he responded coldly, keeping his gun trained on her while he reached to his belt to pull his cuffs using his prosthetic hand in order to do so and then held them out towards her indicating for her to raise her hands. "Your wrist."_

 _Once she obeyed his demand, she looked into his eyes with concern as Rogers worked with difficulty to place one cuff around her wrist, the other around a metal structure nearby to detain her until he finally managed to lock the cuffs in place so she wouldn't be able to escape while he searched the storage room._

 _Once he finished, the detective raised his gun once more, as well as his flashlight to search his further surroundings for dangers while he made his way towards the doors and finally forced them open. However, upon shining the light inside and seeing the missing girl in front of him, Rogers immediately put his gun away and slowly, cautiously stepped towards Eloise so he could free her._

 _Upon him entering, Eloise pretended to be frightened of the detective since she wasn't really in danger, keeping her back to him and beneath the blanket she wore wrapped around her shoulders as she fearfully pleaded, "Don't hurt me."_

 _Rogers slowly stepped inside the small space so he could move in closer to her while he answered her assuredly, "I won't. I won't. I won't. Don't worry. Uh… my name is Detective Rogers. I'm… I'm here to help."_

 _"I've been looking for you for… for a long, long time, Eloise," he whispered gently once he knelt down behind her in hope to show her he meant her no harm and at last the missing girl pulled the blanket down from off her head once she felt she could trust him as Eloise turned her head around to see her rescuer._

 _"You have?" she questioned him worryingly as she looked into his eyes and then took his good hand he reached out for her to take hold off so he could help her stand._

 _Rogers smiled at her upon feeling a deep sense of relief as he continued, "Yeah. Yeah, I have. Come on."_

 _Once Eloise was on her feet, he pulled her against him and wrapped his arm around her to help her walk as they made their way out of the storage room together, then when she gasped out of the false fear she continued to show Rogers to maintain his sympathy upon seeing her supposed abductor, he glared again at Victoria before them while he spoke once more with tenderness in his voice saying, "Don't worry. She can't hurt you anymore, I promise."_

 _"Thank you for saving me," the not so innocent girl replied in fake sincerity, as she turned her head to look over at the detective's prisoner and grinned at Victoria cruelly while Rogers kept his focus before them when they walked past her._

When Rogers' memory ended, it wasn't too much longer before he was finally pulled from his thoughts by one of the doctors at the hospital as the woman stepped over to him and gently laid her hand down on his shoulder in order to alert him, causing him to jump upon her doing so, then she quickly apologized, "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to startle you, detective. I just came out here to let you know that we've finished examining the young woman you brought in in need of our help."

He immediately stood up and faced the doctor while he asked, "And how is she? Is she going to be okay?"

The doctor smiled as she nodded and responded, "She's going to be just fine. She's shaken… understandably so. She's malnourished and a little dehydrated, but it's nothing that some food and water can't fix. I would like to keep her here overnight for precaution… just to keep watch over her vital signs in order to make sure there are no hidden surprises. But she's wanting to go home, so we'll release her once we finish checking her over. I can also recommend to you a doctor… a uh… therapist she can go to see to help her cope with the trauma she suffered while being held captive if she would like to speak with one. That way you can talk to her about doing so in a few minutes when you go in to see her. She's been asking to see you too."

"Thank you, doctor," the detective answered her sincerely and smiled, then watched the woman nod before she turned to walk away again.

Once she was gone, Rogers finally pulled out his cell phone upon feeling it vibrate in his pants back pocket and saw that his partner had left him yet another message to find out where he was. It was the sixth message Weaver had sent him since their last confrontation earlier that afternoon, a confrontation that was hardly supportive, or civil on either side.

"I thought I warned you it would be bad for you if you ignored my calls and messages for any reason, Detective?" his senior partner questioned Rogers sternly, as he slowly approached the younger man upon walking into the hospital wing after he observed him long enough to watch his expressions while the doctor had spoken to him, then to see him take out his phone and put it away again without sending a message in reply.

Rogers looked at him darkly while he replied, "And I thought we were past you following me and watching my every move like I'm some kind of criminal. As far as I'm concerned, you are the only one of us here doing things that aren't quite on the up and up. I found Eloise Gardener. Without anyone's help other than Henry's. He was the only one who cared enough to try to help me. You all believed she was lost forever, so you didn't even lift a finger! Even had a young girl lie to me and deceive me with a fake page from her notebook you created at Victoria's behest. Or perhaps just your own. Who really knows? Well surprise… Eloise wasn't lost. I found her despite your lies."

Weaver hid the worry he felt for his partner and over what Gothel's plans might be now that she was freed at last underneath a mask showing nothing but contempt as he continued to stare at Rogers while he responded, "Whatever you might think, you're wrong. It's like I told you before… I was trying to protect you. You have no idea who that woman in there really is and you wouldn't understand."

"Then how about you tell me the straight up truth for once!" the younger detective retorted angrily, then allowed Weaver to grab his arm so he could pull him away from any onlookers around within the waiting room so they could talk a little more privately before he continued, as he spoke more quietly despite his cross tone. "Without the riddles… or you telling me everything you've done to hinder my investigation so I could find Eloise, was for my own good. Because if you had just helped me a little, we could have found her together. Or is it that you really are in this with Victoria? Just tell me the truth. Please."

"I can't," his partner despondently answered him, then looked towards the room where he could then see the villainess looking out at him through one of its windows. "There's much more going on with her than either of us know. You won't believe me, but I assure you she isn't as innocent as she appears to be. I am only trying to protect you."

Rogers scoffed as he turned away from him and finally saw Eloise again through the window as well, allowing him to soften his countenance when she smiled and waved at him, then the younger detective spoke to Weaver again with his back still turned saying honestly, "I wish I could believe you, Weaver. I want to. But you're not helping me to understand whatever it is you're so afraid of me finding out. How am I supposed to trust you? How can you expect me to trust you if all you can do is deceive me with cruel tricks like you had Tilly help you pull off tonight? You have no idea how much I hated myself for failing Eloise when you made me believe she was dead."

He finally turned around to face the senior detective again and added, "Or does that even matter to you? If you'll excuse me… I have to go talk with Eloise now. To make sure she's alright. Once the doctors are finished checking her over, I'll be bringing her to one of our transitional homes. Seeing as it's already late, I may be in a bit late to work in the morning. I'll see you tomorrow."

When it was clear his partner was no longer willing to listen to him, Weaver finally turned away again himself and then walked out of the hospital. It didn't surprise him much when Tilly stepped out from behind an ambulance parked near the emergency wing entrance, wearing the hood of her coat up over her head to avoid really being seen by anyone else nearby, and she looked at him with worry for the man she had no idea was truly her father written all over her face.

"How is he?" she nervously asked him. "Did you explain to him how that woman's not to be trusted? There's something not right about her. I don't know her and I've never even spoken with her, yet the look in her eyes… She looked right at me earlier when the paramedics were caring for her in the ambulance outside of the building Rogers found her in. Most people don't really see me, but somehow… somehow she did and I felt cold looking at her. It was terrible."

"I understand what you mean," the detective replied and then let out a quiet sigh in frustration before he continued. "I sensed it too. I did try to warn my partner how dangerous that woman is, Tilly. Only he doesn't believe me. Not that I blame him. It was wrong of me to deceive him and to use you to help me do it, even it was only meant to try to protect him. He has every reason not to trust me and unfortunately, I don't even have all the answers for him that will help him to understand why I tried to keep him from finding that woman. She is dangerous and she hasn't even begun whatever it is she has in store for those of us here in this neighborhood now that she has been freed."

Weaver looked at the young woman again and then said, "I am sorry for pulling you into my deception on Detective Rogers. I never meant for him to come to distrust you too. I know how much you're worried about him because you've come to care about him."

She looked at him sadly as she responded, "You used me to hurt him and now he's disappointed in me. I don't like being used. I should have seen it. Rogers thought I was better than what I am. He trusted me to help him find answers when he asked me for my help and I let him down. What do I do now?"

"You need to do whatever you have to do to prove to him you are the girl he believed you to be, Tilly," he resolutely answered her in hope of convincing her all isn't lost. "He needs you to be there for him. I'll try to gain back his trust, but that's going to be a bit more difficult. There's much distrust between us I'm afraid and it goes back a lot further than you know. But… I have a feeling he isn't as disappointed in you as he believes he is right now. He's angry and he's hurt by our deception, yet something tells me he understands why you did what you did and that he cares about you more than you believe."

"Can you tell me Rogers won't end up getting hurt worse than just getting disappointed by those trying to look out for him?" Tilly then asked him again with fear in her eyes, unable to understand the strong need she had to try to help protect a man she didn't think she really knew all that well, or the fear she felt for his safety. "So long as that… Eloise Gardener is now free and able to dig her claws into him?"

Weaver looked away from her to stare back towards the hospital again and then with the truth, he replied, "I wish I could, but unfortunately… Unfortunately, I cannot. She has a hold over him because of his obsession he had to find her and the blame he placed on his own shoulders for her having gone missing. Only… there's also more to it than just that. And I can't explain it. But he isn't the only one who will pay for trying to save a woman unworthy of having Detective Rogers as her own white knight."

He turned his head to look at her again upon mentioning two words he knew had a deep meaning to her, as she too kept her eyes before them, but he was disappointed to see they didn't really phase her. Except that they did have an impact on her, only she didn't show it. Mostly because she didn't understand why.

Instead, Tilly turned to the senior detective again and then she stated, "I'm going to go now. It's been a long day. I'm tired. I appreciate your honesty just now. Neither one of us is good with honesty, but hopefully from here on out we can do better. Good night, Detective Weaver."

Before he could say anything more, she ran off to return to her shipping crate… the only place she currently had to call home. Upon her doing so, Weaver also turned to leave so he too could go home to try to get some sleep before returning to work in the morning and confronting Victoria Belfrey about her role in Eloise's abduction.


	2. Chapter 2

Consequences to Being a White Knight

Chapter Two

After Rogers drove with Eloise from the hospital and walked her into the apartment their precinct used for newly found rescues, battered women, and protected witnesses in order to make sure she was settled and comfortable with being left alone, he left again and drove to his own apartment in hope of getting sleep in the hours left before he was required to be back at work in the morning. However, his mind was still unsettled even though he finally found the missing girl whose disappearance kept him awake most nights for the last couple of years. His sleeplessness now was for reasons unknown to him.

When morning came again and the detective awoke at the same time he always did, about an hour earlier than when he really needed to so he could get to work on time, he once again gave up trying to sleep, made himself some coffee to help him wake up enough to function better than he would without the stimulant, then finally left and arrived at the precinct by seven like usual, despite having told his partner that he might be late the night before. He turned off his car's ignition, but he sat in the driver's seat for several minutes in silence while he thought about having to confront Weaver again, as well as about Tilly, and Eloise too.

At last, he got out of his car and finally walked inside the precinct to face whatever came his way. What he didn't expect was to walk in as all of his fellow cops and detectives, who normally didn't show too high of an opinion of him, immediately began to clap and applaud him for solving the case that had been cold for such a long time by saving the missing girl.

 _"_ _Okay… okay… okay…" he uttered upon feeling uncomfortable by the praise they were offering him despite the apprehensive smile he showed for their benefit._ _"_ _That's… that's enough."_

When Weaver arrived at the station a few minutes behind his partner, he had every intention of doing as he promised Tilly the night before he would. He intended to apologize to Rogers again and to begin making up for his mistakes. However, he walked inside and upon seeing and hearing the rest of the men they worked with congratulating the rookie detective, his vindictive and darker side suddenly took over again when they reminded him Rogers was being applauded for something about to cause them all chaos and probable harm.

 _"Congratulations, Detective," the older man coldly stated to his partner while looking directly at him, when he walked over to Rogers close enough so his words remained between them. "You closed your case. But you have no idea what you just blew wide open."_

 _Rogers glared after him when Weaver then walked away, and sat down on the top of his desk as he let out a sigh in frustration until he raised his head again to face Desk Sergeant Ryce when the officer clasped his shoulder while he snidely asked, "How's it feel to be a hero, pal?"_

 _He momentarily glanced away from the man as he answered, "I was just doing my job."_

 _"Well… tell that to her," Ryce replied when he turned his head towards the main doors into the bullpen and saw the young rescue enter with a cake in her hands, as did Rogers._

 _"Eloise?" he immediately expressed in surprise upon seeing her, then stood back on his feet again and walked over to greet her. "Hi. Is everything all right?"_

 _She met up with him, then looked into his eyes after glancing down at the cake while she smiled and responded, "Yeah, I just wanted to bring you this… as a thank you. I baked it myself."_

 _Rogers smiled sincerely at her too as he answered, "That's very kind of you. Um… how are you? You adjusting okay?"_

 _"Honestly, I'm having trouble sleeping," the villainess, whose real name was Gothel replied as he set the cake down on his desk behind him, then turned back to her._

 _"Well, that's understandable," the handsome detective responded to her out of understanding. "You've been plunged into a strange new world. Have you gone to see that therapist yet?"_

 _Eloise lowered her eyes to her side and uneasily answered, "I tried."_

 _He then pulled one of his cards from his pants back pocket and held it out for her to take from him while he spoke again in sincerity saying, "Here's my number. If it will make you feel any better, you can call me any time."_

 _"You really are my white knight, aren't you?" she asked as she smiled up at him again._

 _"Mm," was the only reply he could offer her again, except a smile._

 _The woman before him looked at him once more after she started to turn away from him to leave while she continued, "Thank you, Detective. Bye."_

 _Rogers watched her walk away once he said back, "Bye."_

Once she was gone, he left the bullpen to head to the break room in search of paper plates and plastic utensils so he could serve the cake to the other cops, as well as to cut a piece for himself. When he returned to his desk, he had barely sat down again when Roni entered the station and looked around the room for Weaver until she saw Rogers at his desk cutting into the cake, then walked over to stand in front of him.

 _"Oh… hey, Rogers," she spoke out to him as she did so. "I'm looking for Weaver. Is he around?"_

 _"Weaver?" he questioned brusquely, as he stopped cutting into the cake to focus his attention on his friend. "He's probably out being a shady, treacherous bastard somewhere."_

 _Regina looked down at him with sympathy upon sensing the frustration in his words, then she delicately responded, "Oh, that's right. I heard how it all went down with Eloise. Where is she now?"_

 _Rogers briefly glanced away from her until he looked back again as he answered, "She's uh… at a transitional home. Um… I've promised to keep a watchful eye on her."_

 _"Oh?" the former Queen and Mayor uttered as she smiled down at him, attempting not to sound condescending or concerned by his kindness and attention he was unwittingly showing the villainess about to become a real threat to all of them. "Well, that's… that's kind of you."_

 _"From the sounds of it, she's not the only one who needs help," Roni continued once she changed the focus of their conversation to the young woman only she among them knew was really her friend's daughter and showed true worry for them both. "Henry told me about how Weaver used that girl, Tilly."_

 _He looked up again at the bar owner while he crossly replied, "Seems to me like she wanted to be a pawn."_

 _Regina understood his distrust, having dealt with the Dark One's games and deceptions for years as well, then genuinely wanting to help Rogers, she responded, "You know, people only let themselves be used when they don't have any other option. So maybe you can give her one."_

 _"Okay," the detective then answered after pondering her words for a few moments and nodded his head in understanding, then smiled. "I'll reach out to her."_

 _"You're a good cop, Rogers," she replied to him again with her own smile, then started to turn around to leave until she finally noticed the cake when he leaned forward again to continue cutting himself a slice. "Hey, what's this?"_

 _He stopped again and dropped his hand against the desk, unaware of the possible danger the gift from the nymph might have held for him as he responded, "It's a thank you from Eloise."_

 _However, Roni was aware of it and so she mumbled, "Oh."_

 _"What the hell was that for?" he then asked her out of shock and in anger once she unexpectedly reached down to pick up the cake to dump it into the wastebasket on the floor beside his desk out of concern for him._

 _"Too much sugar will kill ya," Regina answered him lightheartedly in order to mask her worry and then walked out of the precinct to return to her bar._

Once she was gone, Rogers looked down into the trash can again, then finally stood and picked it up so he could go back into the break room to clean the basket out. He thought over Roni's words again, as well as the contempt his partner kept showing towards him in regards to all he's done to rescue Eloise. However, once he finished, he finally just left the station to go out looking for Tilly in hope he could find her so he could apologize to her for speaking to her so harshly the night before. He decided he would find and settle things between him and Weaver later.

Meanwhile…

Weaver walked into his office within the precinct and prepared himself to speak with Victoria Belfrey, after giving those under his command orders to make sure she was left alone through the night so she could stew in either denial or in her acknowledgement of the mess she created by keeping Gothel prisoner ever since the curse had fallen over them. However, before he could make his way to the cells where she was currently being detained, his phone rang and the senior detective left the station instead when he was called away on a new case. He thought to call his partner, then decided against it to start working the case on his own figuring he would have the chance to try to apologize to Rogers again later.


	3. Chapter 3

Consequences to Being a White Knight

Chapter Three

Weaver left the precinct upon learning there had been a murder of a young woman he knew from his life before the curse entrapped the heroes and villains from the New Enchanted Forest in Hyperion Heights. A woman he knew to have once been an evil witch. If they still lived as they did before the curse, it wouldn't have been hard to know why she had been murdered by having her throat slit. However, here once again in a land without magic, this woman was a nurse who as far as he knew helped people. A heart shaped box of chocolates was left beside her body and she was the first of a number of serial killings yet to come, but the senior detective had yet to learn there was a killer of witches living among them.

Once the detective finished canvasing the crime scene and doing all he could for the time being, he returned again to the station and asked a couple of cops to escort Victoria Belfrey into an interrogation room for him so he could finally talk with her. The villainess was at last sitting across from him with her wrists cuffed to the table between them and he spoke to her as Detective Weaver, not as Gold or Rumplestiltskin. Because as far as she knew, he was still asleep.

Victoria kept her face calm as she glared at him when he spoke first upon observing her new look saying, "Orange really isn't your color, Victoria. But then… the prison jumpsuit certainly suits you."

She rolled her eyes, then looked down at her hands while she replied, "Have your fun. I can take your ridicule and the ridicule from those in our small little world whom I've served loyally these last few years just fine. I've been imprisoned before. This is nothing. A part of me suspected this day would come. It is what my daughter and Eloise have wanted all along. But you have no idea of the trouble that's coming because of the evil your partner set free. You should have kept a tighter leash on him. I warned you what would happen if you didn't take care of him. Didn't I?!"

Weaver's thoughts briefly fell back to his conversation with Victoria the day before when he entered her office building to see the woman, upon them still having an understanding that he would continue to keep her informed, as he remembered stepping off the elevator on the top floor to find her standing by Ivy's work station at the receptionist desk with a pair of strange looking black heels in her hands.

 _"_ _Bad time?" he had questioned her when he walked towards her. "I could come back if you've got something, uh… bigger on your plate."_

 _"_ _No," she responded plainly and set the shoes on the desk. "I assure you, everything is fine."_

 _He continued, "Well… that may be a temporary condition._ _It seems Detective Rogers is close to solving the Eloise Gardener case."_

 _The woman before him curtly asked, "And why haven't you stopped him?"_

 _"_ _He has an emotional attachment to the case that makes it difficult to break," Weaver answered her again as he leaned down against the desk between them._

 _"_ _If you can't break him of his little obsession, then I shall find someone who can do it in a more permanent fashion," Victoria retorted cruelly. "The choice is entirely yours."_

He looked across the table at the villainess again and then replied, "I remember. I also remember you threatening my partner. But you're in here now for keeping Eloise Gardener prisoner in some old abandoned building. After all this time, it was you all along. The question is, why?"

She glared at Weaver again as she leaned forward to be closer to him, then responded darkly, "Cut the bull, Detective. Don't you dare sit there and pretend like you didn't suspect me being involved in that woman's disappearance after all you've done for me. Yet you were perfectly content to remain oblivious to the truth because you are as corrupt as I am, and you like being so. I did what I had to do to keep us all safe from the great harm Eloise can and will inflict upon us."

"Keeping a woman prisoner is wrong no matter your reasons for doing so," the senior detective quietly answered, then stood up as he prepared to leave. "I have yet to meet Eloise, but Rogers believes her to be a nice girl. And while I don't always see eye to eye with him, I normally do trust his judgement and believe him to be a good detective. Unlike me, he's a straight shooter. However, I have to admit that I suspect you are right to be wary of this particular woman. I've done my homework too and I have learned things my partner is unaware of and wouldn't be able to believe without seeing the truth for himself. So a part of me understands why you've done as you've done, Victoria."

"That's right," Victoria angrily replied, as she slammed her fist against the table. "Which is why certain precautions had to be taken. Only… I was too late."

Weaver had made it to the door, until her final words struck a sense of fear within him he couldn't quite comprehend right away, so he turned back around to face her again as he read her eyes to judge whether or not she might be lying about something and questioned, "Exactly what is that supposed to mean?"

When she turned her head away from him and leaned back in her chair to try to show him she was suddenly finished talking, he walked back over to the table and leaned in close to the villainess while he asked again, "Victoria… what have you done?"

"You'll find out soon enough I suspect," she responded coldly, still without looking up at him. "It didn't do any good. Eloise is loose again because we both failed and your partner couldn't leave well enough alone."

"Now isn't the time for you to be cautious with your words!" the detective suddenly shouted at her. "Cut to what you've done… now!"

She saw darkness and anger in his eyes when she looked up at him again and suddenly became a little afraid like she always used to feel whenever she came face to face with the Dark One in their pasts, then finally she answered, "After you left my office yesterday… I thought about what we talked about and I realized you would fail to stop your partner from finding Eloise on account of sentiment. So… I made a call. I warned you what would happen. I just couldn't wait. Unfortunately, this associate failed to stop him in time too, seeing as she's free."

Weaver glared darkly at her as he replied, "You placed a contract on my partner's head after I told you I would take care of it?"

"But you didn't!" she retorted. "So I did what I had to do. And I was arrested before I had the chance to call the hit off. I'm afraid someone is out there looking to take Rogers out. You may want to go find him. Before this someone does. Detective Rogers likes to be everyone's white knight… well, there are consequences to that. And poor Rogers is about to find that out."

"If anything happens to my partner, Victoria… I promise you that I will make you regret it," he responded threateningly and then left the interrogation room to make his way out into the bullpen hoping to find Rogers still sitting at his desk, pulling out his cell phone to try to call him while he walked.

Unfortunately, he wasn't answering and when Weaver saw the younger detective wasn't anywhere in sight, he grabbed one of the other cops closest to him by his arm as the officer walked by, then asked, "Have you seen Detective Rogers anywhere? I need to find him. Now!"

The officer looked at the man holding his arm in confusion and worry as he answered nervously, "No. No, he… he left. A while ago. And he didn't say where he was heading. At least not to me. I barely know Rogers."

"I wouldn't be surprised if he went off to visit that missing girl of his now that he's become her white knight," Sergeant Ryce said arrogantly when he walked over to them as his interest became peaked by the senior detective's sudden concern for his partner whom Ryce believed Weaver didn't care much about. "That's what she called him. You know… when she came in here earlier looking to talk to Rogers. She even made him a cake."

"Listen… Rogers knows where the lines are better than anyone else I know and he would never cross them even for a girl, especially one who's been held captive a few years," Weaver replied in frustration while he glared at the Desk Sergeant. "What he feels about her isn't like what you and everyone else in this room might be thinking, so don't you dare judge him or spread filthy rumors about him. Is that understood, Sergeant Ryce?"

When Ryce simply nodded in understanding, the detective continued, "If Rogers calls here at all, tell him to get back immediately and wait for me to come back to talk to him. And if he returns… tell him to stay put. I'm going out to try to find him."

The Desk Sergeant then responded, "I'm not Rogers' keeper, Weaver. Babysitting him isn't my job."

"Your job is to protect and serve no matter what rank or position you're in so long as you're a cop in this precinct," the Dark One angrily answered once more as he grabbed Ryce by the collars of his uniform and shoved him back roughly against his partner's desk. "That especially includes protecting one of your own. Now do as I say and shut up."

"Okay," Ryce stated, then Weaver turned and left the station to do whatever he could to find Rogers.


	4. Chapter 4

Consequences to Being a White Knight

Chapter Four

After Rogers left the station to try to find Tilly, he started at the shipping crate in the train yard where she has been living for awhile. When he didn't find her there, the detective continued his search for her by going to the park and other places throughout the neighborhood he knew she frequented, including the giant statue under the bridge on the edge of town where she liked to sell her collection of stolen watches she picked off from any unwitting passerby. His first time by, she wasn't around. However, a few hours later, he came around again as he walked up to it with a bag in his hand and was grateful to have finally found her sitting up within the statue's arms.

 _"_ _There you are," Rogers stated gently to the young woman, as he walked around the statue so he could face her while he spoke and then looked up at her._ _"_ _I've been looking for you."_

 _"_ _Have you?" Tilly asked snidely when she turned to look down at him too. "I thought you wouldn't want anything to do with me, after what I did for Weaver."_

 _He shook his head while he responded in understanding, "_ _I get it._ _He's like a father figure to you._ _You trusted him over a stranger._ _It's understandable."_

 _She glanced away from him with disappointment in herself and the senior detective in her eyes as she sadly replied, "_ _Yeah, well… I thought he was good man._ _I felt like he gave a damn about me._ _Now without that, what ties me to the world?"_

 _"_ _Well… I don't know if I have a tether to the world, but I do have this," Rogers answered her, then glanced down at the bag he was carrying until he raised it up to hand over to her and she eagerly pulled out a new chessboard set as she laughed. "I thought we could start a weekly game… A way to fill the time, now that I've found Eloise Gardener."_

 _"_ _You know, I thought finding her would be it," the younger detective continued when he leaned against the statue, while Tilly opened the game board and unconsciously picked up the white knight piece without knowing how dear it was to her. "And look… I'm relieved that she's free, it's just I don't feel… I don't know what to do next that will matter."_

 _Tilly then looked away when a thought surprisingly dawned on her, until she looked at him again as she responded, "That's the feeling… Not mattering to anyone. That's the coming untied from the world feeling."_

 _Understanding exactly what it was she meant because he felt it too, Rogers spoke again while he looked into her eyes saying, "It's not a good feeling."_

 _"_ _No," she replied with a soft laugh. "But now maybe we'll drift off the planet in the same direction._ _"_

"Aye… I believe you may be right," he answered her sincerely and smiled. "I'm so sorry for the things I said to you last night, Tilly. I was upset. Mostly with Weaver because he's being… Well, Weaver. You know as well as I do what he's done. And on top of that, I was frustrated because it's taken me too long to find Eloise. If he had just been willing to help me and stop with the mind games… But none of that is an excuse for hurting you like I did. I never meant to hurt you, or to get you to distrust me. I hope you can forgive me."

The young woman smiled at him, then she jumped down so she could stand on the ground in front of him and responded, "There's no need for my forgiveness, Detective. Because I do understand more than you think I do. But if you really want it… you have it. So long as you can forgive me too. I didn't want to hurt you either. I thought I was protecting you. Weaver said this Eloise woman is dangerous and that she might hurt you. I believed him. I could sense something's not right about her by the way she looked at me last night from that ambulance. I'm worried."

Rogers let out a quiet sigh in frustration when he looked away from her again and then he gently replied, "As far as I know, Eloise is an innocent girl who needed my help because everyone else had given up on her. I couldn't just shake off my feelings towards this case as much as you, Weaver, Victoria, or anyone who kept trying to get me to back off might have wanted me to. I had to do as my conscience guided me to do. But I assure you, nothing bad is going to happen. Not to me, not to you, and not… not to anyone."

"I understand," Tilly answered sincerely, then looked over at the chess pieces as she reached out to pick up the white knight once more. "Do you have time to play a game right now?"

"I really wish I could," the newly appointed detective responded when he felt his phone vibrate in his back pocket again and pulled the cell out to find his partner was calling him. "It appears Weaver's calling me. About a new case I'm guessing. I should probably go."

She saw him place the phone back into his pocket, then asked, "Are you not going to answer it?"

He shook his head again while he replied, "No. I'm not exactly prepared to listen to him rip me apart again for trying to help someone I care about. I want to make sure that you're going to be alright. Is there anything you need? Anything… I can do for you before I go?"

"That's sweet," Tilly answered with a smile as she looked at him again. "But you've already done more than enough for me. I appreciate you coming to find me, detective. I really do. You're a good man."

"I try to be," Rogers said once more and offered her a smile in return before he started to turn away, then stopped to face her again when a sense of worry suddenly washed over him. "If Weaver tries calling you, or if you see him, let him know that I'm going to head back to the abandoned building where Victoria was holding Eloise. I have this strange feeling I might have missed something in my haste to help her. Something… I don't know… Something that might help to make the case stronger against Victoria Belfrey. I fear she might get away with what she's done. And with the way Weaver's been coming down on me about all this, I have to make sure everything I do is solid."

She nodded as she responded, "Of course. Just be careful. I'll see you tomorrow? Perhaps we can play then."

The detective replied, "I'd like that. Goodbye, Tilly."

"Goodbye," Tilly answered, then watched him finally walk away from her to return to duty.

The young woman was about to turn to walk away from the statue herself to go off and find something to eat, until she then noticed someone suspicious step out from an alleyway several yards ahead of her keeping his eyes trained solely on Detective Rogers, as the stranger began to follow behind him at a safe distance. However, what worried her more was that whoever it was kept his or her face and head hidden beneath a ball cap and the hood from the sweatshirt they were wearing. And when Rogers ran across the street to get into his car parked nearby to drive away, this stranger got into another car, then followed after him in the same direction.

Tilly immediately ran after them and hailed for a cab to take her to the abandoned building where the detective thankfully told her he was headed. Normally, she walked everywhere she went, but if this suspect turned out to be as dangerous she feared he or she might be, she knew she didn't have time to waste in getting to Rogers again as quickly as possible.

She shoved what little cash she had in her pockets given to her from Weaver the night before into the driver's hands so he would drive, then quickly sent off a message to the senior detective on her phone to let him know his partner might be in trouble and where he needed to meet her.

Meanwhile, Rogers was unaware he was being followed because the suspect was cautious and kept his distance. Also, the detective's mind was focused on trying to push down his concern about Victoria getting out of the kidnapping charges, Weaver's contempt against him, and his worry he felt for Eloise trying to adjust again after all she's been through.

He finally arrived outside of the building again and left his car to enter with his gun raised in case of any trouble waiting for him inside. Once he saw his surroundings were clear, he holstered his service weapon and walked into the storage room where he found the missing girl being held captive, pulled out his flashlight, then knelt down to look around the floor for any kind of evidence he might have missed. Unfortunately, he found nothing more.

If it was any other suspect, he would have had plenty of evidence to make sure the criminal was sent away for life. However, Victoria was a powerful woman. And Rogers hated that he suspected Weaver of being a dirty cop who was in the woman's pocket ever since they had begun working together on account of all the secrets and mind games he kept playing against him.

Finally, he was about to leave nearly twenty minutes after he arrived, when he turned in the direction of smoke slowly filling the air around him from somewhere close by. He smelled the smoke first, then saw it coming towards him and Rogers immediately made his way towards the source of the fire he could at last see had been set within another room stemmed off from the entrance he had passed through earlier. However, before he could do anything about it, or turn to leave, the fire erupted and spread beyond the room, causing Rogers to have to dive forward and crawl away from it in order to avoid being struck. But before he could even stand again, he was suddenly assaulted from behind by whoever he suspected had set the fire now working to consume the entire building.

Rogers couldn't make out his attacker's face, but by their strength as they both fought hand to hand after his gun was knocked from his hand when he attempted to pull it again to defend himself, he could tell he was fighting against another man despite his face being hidden beneath his ball cap and hood just as Tilly had observed when she had seen him following after the detective.

Their fight didn't last much longer, as the flames grew stronger and burned hotter around them. But once Rogers thought he had gained the upper hand when he gained the chance to pull his backup weapon he wore in a holster on his left ankle, the assailant suddenly slashed his chest with a jagged knife he swiftly pulled from his belt, then pushed the detective back just as burning rubble from the ceiling crashed down and landed on top of him, causing him to collapse to the floor unconscious upon being struck and pinned down. The assailant immediately ran through the smoke and flames to escape, leaving his target behind to die. And in his hurry, he failed to see Tilly nearby as she was trying to look through one of the windows to see in while standing on the hood of Rogers' car despite the building now being on fire.

She ducked just as the assailant slammed the door upon running from the building and then immediately ran to his car to speed away. And when Rogers didn't follow behind him, Tilly knew something had gone terribly wrong, so she didn't hesitate to run inside in fear that her friend was hurt, or worse. She carefully climbed down the metal stairwell, cautiously avoiding to touch the railings knowing they'd be hot, then navigated her way around the flames surrounding her as she called out for Detective Rogers.

At last, she finally found him unconscious on the floor partially buried beneath the rubble which had fallen on him and immediately ran over to him so she could try to pull him out in time to save him from being burned in the fire, knowing that doing so would be an impossible task without her own help. Tilly knelt over him as she immediately worked to pull the debris off of him while she called out to him in hope of waking him, then struggled to drag him out despite the danger to herself.

"Please… Detective, I need you to wake… to wake up," she pleaded with him while she continued to struggle. "Please!"

The young woman immediately collapsed on top of him in fear when more flames suddenly erupted nearby, then Tilly laid her hands on the sides of Rogers' face to try to bring him back around while she knelt over him again. Tears spilled down her cheeks upon becoming afraid she would have to leave him. However, just when she knew she had to give up, Weaver suddenly appeared behind her and knelt down beside her to pull his partner up with him, then wrapped one of the younger detective's arms around his shoulders while Tilly immediately did the same with his other. Together, they managed to make their way through the flames surrounding them to escape from the abandoned burning building owned by Belfrey Developments.

Once they finally made their way outside and rushed away from the dangers of the fires that tried to consume them, Weaver and Tilly breathed in the fresh clean air while they carefully laid Rogers down against the ground again so they could care for him until the ambulance arrived to take over for them.

Weaver glanced into Tilly's eyes as he nodded at her, then quickly reached down to his partner's neck to feel for a pulse and was grateful to feel it was steady while he stated, "He's going to be alright, Tilly. Thanks to you. You did good."

She shook her head worryingly while she stared down at the younger detective and responded, "Did I? I could have entered the building right away. I could have helped him. Before the fire started. I arrived just after they did, but I was afraid. I knew that man was acting strange… that he was going to hurt Rogers."

"What do you mean?" the senior detective questioned once he looked up at her again in between working to look over Rogers' injuries upon seeing the gashes on the back and on the right side of his head from being struck by the rubble, one across his right cheekbone, the long jagged laceration across his chest from being slashed by his attacker's knife, and upon feeling at least a couple of fractured ribs.

"Detective Rogers and I were talking before he left," Tilly replied sadly. "He apologized to me for last night. But then… I saw someone suspicious begin to follow him. Even followed him in his car. When I arrived here after I followed too…"

Weaver nodded in understanding and looked down at his partner as he answered, "This suspicious man had attacked Rogers, set the building on fire, and left him to die. But you saved him, Tilly. And you sent a message to me so I could get here in time to help. Did you get a good look at the man? Did you see his face at all?"

She shook her head again and responded quietly, "Not a good look, but I saw him enough as he ran out of the building. He hadn't pulled his hood back up. Or put his ball cap back on."

"Okay… that's good," the older man replied, then let out a sigh in relief when Rogers finally began to breathe in and out more easily despite having inhaled a heavy amount of smoke while he had been trapped inside the fire. "Once you and I make sure Rogers is well taken care of after we go with him to the hospital, you can come with me back to the precinct so we can question Victoria Belfrey together."

"Victoria Belfrey?" Tilly stated in question out of confusion. "What does she have to do with this? Are you thinking she's behind what's happened?"

Finally, the sounds of the ambulance sirens could be heard in the distance to indicate they were close, then when he looked over again at Tilly after he had turned his head upon hearing the sirens, Weaver answered, "I'm afraid she is. She put a hit on Rogers' head in hope of preventing him from finding Eloise Gardener, but… this killer failed to stop him in time. I've been looking for Rogers so I could try to warn him, but…"

The young woman finished for him, "…because of our deception yesterday and hurting Rogers' trust, he wasn't willing to talk to you or answer your call. Victoria's going to pay for this. She has to."


	5. Chapter 5

Consequences To Being a White Knight

Chapter Five

Meanwhile…

Victoria was once again sitting inside her prison cell while she contemplated her earlier conversation with Detective Weaver and she knew that whatever understanding stood between them before now, was most certainly over upon him learning she had placed a contract out on his partner's head in hope of stopping Rogers from succeeding. However, she didn't care that Rogers' life was now at stake for her failing to put a stop to the hit. And she didn't care that Weaver knew of her involvement in it either, even if she could tell from the darkness in his eyes that the Dark One buried inside of him was awake despite the ruse he played on her.

She had power over the community without magic and she had money, so she didn't worry about being locked up for the rest of her life. She was more concerned about Gothel being free and Victoria was angry with Rogers for being the noble detective fighting against her corruption. She was also angry with the hitman working for her for failing to kill him before Rogers could succeed.

Yesterday afternoon, an hour after Weaver left…

When a visitor to the office stepped off the elevator, Ivy, who had just returned from seeing Gothel for a secret meeting, stood from her desk upon recognizing the man from their past lives whom she knew must have come to see her mother, and then she spoke casually to him saying, "Hello. Welcome to Belfrey Developments. What can I help you with?"

As she expected, he looked at her with a smug look on his face while he answered, "I'm here to talk with the main woman this fine establishment's named for. Your boss, Victoria Belfrey herself."

"Then you've come to the right place," Ivy responded with a fake smile. "I'll let her know you're here. Mr.…?"

"Mesure," the man replied. "John Mesure, little lady. Is she here?"

It was then Victoria stepped out of her office as she answered, "I am here, Mr. Mesure. I appreciate you coming to meet with me. Please… come in."

When the visitor stepped past her, Victoria turned to Ivy again as she looked at her daughter coldly while she said, "And Ivy… don't run off again before you and I have a chance to talk. Oh… and if you're looking for your black heels you left under your desk earlier, I have them."

Before Drizella had the chance to respond, her mother entered her office to turn her attention back to the man she had called to come to meet with her. If she had known Ivy would have taken off the moment she had let on to her that she knew she was awake, Victoria probably wouldn't have said anything to her.

"Thank you for coming to see me, Mr. Black," the powerful woman stated to him once they were in the privacy of her office and then took a seat in the chair facing the couch where he sat. "Blake Black. Yes… I know who you really are, but don't worry. I promise your true identity will remain between us. And I'll make this meeting brief. I'm certain you must have an idea why I've invited you here?"

"Who am I seeking out to take care of for you, Madam?" the man asked when he raised his head again to look directly at her to avoid any kind of misunderstanding between them.

She did the same as she responded, "One of your old enemies. Detective Rogers working out of the 42nd precinct. I believe you knew him back when he was just a rookie cop trying to earn his respect among his fellow officers. Back when he nearly put you in prison for impersonating the man whose identity you stole after you murdered him for it, among other reasons. You'll be surprised by how much I know. Do you think you can handle this? Or shall I find someone else to… take care of him, as you said?"

The man known as Private Investigator, John Mesure to most throughout Hyperion Heights, and Blake Black only to those seeking the killer and hitman he truly was under his cursed persona, while in the Wish Realm and in the New Enchanted Forest he was known to everyone as Captain Black Beard, smiled at Victoria smugly and then he replied, "I would be more than happy to comply with your request, Madam Belfrey. Is there any particular way you want it to be done?"

"I don't care," Victoria answered him callously. "Just see that it gets done. Rogers has become a thorn in my side and I need him gone. If you succeed, you can name your price."

"You should be happy to know that it won't cost you as much as it would were it anyone else," Black responded when he stood up again, as did she while they reached out to shake one another's hands. "I hoped for the chance to target Rogers again. We'll be in touch. Good day."

Back in the present…

While Victoria had been lost in her thoughts pretty much since she had been returned to her cell after her confrontation with Weaver, she was finally interrupted when one of the officers from the precinct appeared outside of the bars as he called out, "Victoria Belfrey… you have another visitor here to see you. It's that private investigator you hired to help prove your innocence."

The officer worked to open the powerful business woman's cell to let her out and to place his handcuffs around her wrists to detain her again when she moved to stand close to him, then he spoke again as he whispered, "Now that you've made your call, when should I expect to see the price you promised me for a few minutes with my phone and the time to meet with this friend of yours?"

"The price we agreed upon should already be in your account, Gus," she quietly replied when she raised her head to look into the mouse's eyes, then leaned in to coldly kiss the young man's cheek in deceitful appreciation. "And you letting me use your phone to make my call will remain between us."

"Thank you," he answered, then escorted Victoria once again into an interrogation room so she could meet with her guest.

When she was finally sitting back down in the same chair as earlier with her wrists cuffed to the table between her and the man now sitting across from her, the officer left the room to leave them alone to talk, then Victoria glared at the imposter as she spoke quietly, yet angrily saying, "You failed me, Black. Detective Rogers is still breathing and now it's too late!"

He looked across the table at her unfazed by her anger as he responded, "I realize you wanted him to be wiped out sooner than this afternoon, but I was held up after our meeting yesterday afternoon by unforeseen matters I had no choice but to take care of first. You will be happy to know I've made a first attempt to end Rogers as you have requested. Unfortunately, a young girl and another detective I'm assuming, arrived just in time to pull him from a fire set by an arsonist after I assaulted Rogers. He may still be alive for now, but I will be sure his condition will worsen. You wanted him taken care of… Why the rush?"

"It's because of him a dangerous woman is now free," the villainess replied darkly. "I wanted him dead yesterday. But… luckily for you, I have come up with a solution. A way to take care of both of my problems. Two birds, with one stone. In the land I'm from before I came here to Hyperion Heights, I was once a collector of rare, or hard to find and potentially dangerous artifacts. But here… I collect somewhat of the same, only I have to improvise a little. Inside my apartment, I have possession of one of this world's drugs difficult to get ahold of known to some as devil's breath. Ever hear of it?"

"I have," Black answered plainly.

She nodded and then responded, "Good. That will save me the trouble of explaining how it works. Above my fireplace on its mantle is the urn supposedly containing my husband's ashes and that's where you will find this drug. Don't attempt to kill the detective again just yet if Rogers is lucky enough to pull through your first attempt relatively unscathed. Drug him instead and then send him to kill this dangerous woman, Eloise Gardener. Then, have him end his own life once she's dead too. Be creative. Understand… Mr. Black?"

The killer smiled at Victoria again, then he replied, "Perfectly. You have my word they will no longer be a problem for you, Madam. I like the way you think."


	6. Chapter 6

Consequences to Being a White Knight

Chapter Six

A couple of hours later, a doctor finally entered the waiting room to speak with those who brought Rogers in, after the younger detective had been admitted and seen to upon receiving injuries from his assailant and inhaling so much smoke in the fire that would have killed him had Weaver and Tilly not been there. Neither the senior detective nor the young girl felt comfortable just waiting around, but in case the killer had stuck around at the abandoned building to make sure he had succeeded in killing his target, they weren't about to leave Rogers alone.

"How is he doing, doctor?" Weaver was the first one to speak in question upon seeing the man entering the room to inform them on his partner's condition. "Will he be alright?"

"Amazingly, he will be," Rogers' doctor replied with a shrug and a rise of his eyebrows to show he appeared to be impressed. "Detective Rogers inhaled a lot of smoke, which to be honest was my biggest concern. However, he's appears to be breathing perfectly fine on his own without an oxygen mask to help him. The long laceration across his chest made by what you said was most likely a jagged knife… it's not as bad as it looks. It was deep down by his lower right side and he did lose a fair amount of blood, but it didn't look to be infected. I've stitched it up and bandaged it well, but should you notice blood begin to seep through the bandage, it will mean that he pulled his stitches too much and he'll need to return here to have his wound restitched and bandaged. So, I'll need either one of you to make sure he doesn't do anything too strenuous to risk that. As for the rest, Rogers has a concussion on account of the gash across the back of his head. I've taken care of the other gashes on his face, which thankfully didn't require any stitches, so they ought to heal just fine. And lastly, he does have a few fractured ribs, but his chest has been bound by the bandages so, so long as he doesn't move too much, he's going to be just fine. Oh… and he has a few minor burns, but nothing that wasn't easily treated. It all sounds worse than it really is, though I have to warn you that he is incredibly lucky to be alive. If you hadn't have been there…"

Weaver finally cut the man off as he answered, "We're both very well aware how lucky he is, doctor. Thank you for caring for him. Can we see him now?"

The other man nodded and then guided them a bit further down the corridor to the detective's room while he said again, "If what happened to your detective was caused because someone tried to kill him, I do hope that this assailant won't come here to make trouble for our staff or for our patients, detective."

"I very much doubt this criminal would be foolish enough to walk into a public place filled with people and surveillance cameras, which would surely pick him up if he were to attempt to enter to try again," the senior detective answered him assuredly. "I believe everyone here will be perfectly safe from any trouble. Besides, should Rogers be up to it, I would like to take him home to his apartment where it will be much easier for someone to keep an eye on him while he recovers."

"That won't be necessary," Rogers responded upon overhearing his partner's final words to the doctor through the door as they approached his room, and Weaver, Tilly, and the doctor were surprised to find the younger detective not only awake when they finally entered, but sitting on the edge of his bed while he worked to put his shirt back on over the bandages now covering his chest, then button it up one handed. "I'm quite capable of returning to work. I'm certain I look worse than I am, I assure you."

Tilly was the first to walk closer to him while she uneasily whispered, "So the doctor said. I just don't know how that's possible. You almost died in there."

The younger man's partner nodded in agreement and then he replied, "She's right about that, Detective. You don't have anything to prove by working yourself to death when you're in this condition. You can take a few days to recover and…"

"I'd rather keep working," Rogers answered him more curtly than he intended to do. "I'm sorry. It's just… Someone just tried to kill me in that building. And because it was so soon after I found Eloise, I have no doubt it was Victoria Belfrey behind this assault… in retaliation for me having rescued the girl and for arresting her for kidnapping. I've had nothing but trouble trying to solve this case. It can't be a coincidence."

"You're not wrong," Weaver finally responded to him to confirm his suspicion, then decided to tell him the truth about the contract Victoria placed on his head. "Victoria is most definitely behind this. I had gone in to interrogate her this afternoon after I worked another case that came in. When I spoke to her at her office yesterday, she made a threat against you when she warned me to keep you from finding Miss. Gardener. And then today she let slip that she had actually followed through with her threat because she knew I wouldn't deter you from following your instinct. The man who attacked you… he was a hired hitman now looking to kill you, one way or another. Which is why it's best that you take it easy and lie low. I tried to find you and call you to warn you, but you didn't answer my calls."

His partner lifted himself from the bed and stood shakily on the floor while he spoke again in sincerity saying, "I apologize for letting my anger towards you get in the way of our duties and you doing your job to protect your partner. It was wrong. I owe you for saving my life, Weaver."

Rogers then turned his head to look into Tilly's eyes while he continued gently, "And you too, Tilly. Especially you. I awoke momentarily when you arrived to save me in that building and struggled to wake me despite the fire. I saw you… I lost consciousness shortly afterward, but I know you must have been the one to inform Weaver where I was. So… thank you."

"It was nothing really," she replied modestly. "I didn't do anything anyone else wouldn't have done. After you left me at the statue, I saw someone looking awfully suspicious follow after you and I knew somehow you were in trouble. So… I followed you too and sent a message to Weaver to let him know you needed help."

"Were you able to get a good look at your attacker, Rogers?" the senior detective then questioned again when he returned his eyes to his partner, and immediately caught him when the younger man suddenly stumbled as he attempted to walk towards the door.

Rogers shook his head as he turned his head to look into Weaver's eyes with determination in his own while he stated, "I'm fine. Thank you, but I can walk."

Weaver backed away from him again as Rogers stood more upright again and continued walking towards the door, then to his earlier question moments ago, Rogers answered, "I'm afraid I couldn't see his face very well at all, other than he had facial hair. A short, neatly trimmed beard and a mustache. The rest of his face was concealed beneath a ball cap and a hood of the sweatshirt he wore under his coat. I managed to pull off his hat in our struggle just before I was struck by falling rubble and for a brief second, I could see his dark eyes, but… If I saw anything more, I can't remember. And I wouldn't be able to pick him out in any picture or line up. The fire…"

"You did good, detective," his partner finally responded when he cut Rogers off as they and Tilly all continued walking out to leave the hospital. "I'm going to go back to speak with Victoria again to find out who it was she hired to try to kill you and hopefully we can catch the bastard before he tries again since he failed to do so in his first attempt. I want you to either head home to try to rest and recover, or at the very least come back with me to the precinct where you will do as I say so you won't do anything too strenuous to risk breaking open the stitches like the doctor warned if you truly insist on working our case with me."

"Then that's what I'll do," Rogers replied, when all of a sudden both Roni and Henry pulled up in the bar owner's car and immediately rushed towards them.

Regina looked at their injured friend in worry as she called out, "Rogers… thank God you're alright? Are you? Okay, I mean? You look awful."

The younger detective looked between her and Henry while he anxiously answered, "I'm fine. Thank you. I look worse than how I feel, I assure you. How… how did you know I was here?"

"Henry and me heard about the fire on the news only a short time ago and that a detective had been injured," Roni continued. "We were getting ready to leave town for a few days to visit my sister in San Francisco. We both needed a break from all that's been going on here, but we couldn't leave without making sure you were okay first. What happened?"

"It's a long story," Rogers responded in frustration, though he was grateful to his friends for caring about him. "The short version is that this attack was payback for me rescuing Eloise Gardener.

Henry then spoke up as he replied, "I can't believe it. You found her and she's finally safe again. Why can't whoever did this accept that and just leave you both be?"

The younger detective was about to answer, until Weaver suddenly cut him off again by saying, "Why don't each of you head back to Roni's to talk. Rogers, it's possible they might be able to help you to identify your assailant if you tell them all you and Tilly told me. Most likely this man's gone to Roni's for a drink or two at some point. She's excellent with faces. I'll talk with Victoria. Besides, I doubt she'll say a word with you there."

"Weaver's right," Regina responded sternly, while she glared at the man she knew was awake even though he continued to deny as such since their brief conversation at her bar a few hours earlier, before Weaver had gotten the message from Tilly informing him his partner was in danger. "Henry and I aren't in any real hurry to leave. If we can help you find the man who's trying to kill you, then I'd like to. Come on… the coffee's on me. Or something stronger, if you'd like."

"The coffee would be fine," Rogers stated when he finally relented to allow Weaver go to see Victoria on his own without him, so he could work their case from a different angle. "Thank you, Roni. And Henry. For your concern."

Roni smiled as she stepped up alongside their friend to be beside him in case Rogers stumbled again, as did Tilly while Henry walked ahead to Roni's car. They helped Rogers inside without jostling him too much, then Tilly got in next to him. As Henry sat down in the passenger's seat, Regina turned again to face Weaver, who simply nodded at her in encouragement for her to help his partner which she understood, then he simply walked away.


	7. Chapter 7

Consequences to Being a White Knight

Chapter Seven

A short time later, Victoria was once again cuffed to the table inside the interrogation room she had been twice earlier, while she waited for Detective Weaver to come in to try to talk to her for more information. Before he arrived, she contemplated on whether or not to reveal she knew the truth about the Dark One being awake, but then she finally decided against it. Victoria realized now wasn't the right time to do so because she knew she could use it against him when the time was right. In a time she could use the knowledge to her advantage.

When Weaver finally walked into the room once more, he spoke first saying, "You should know that your hitman you hired… failed at his job. Rogers survived his attack."

The villainess looked at him haughtily as she responded, "I'm surprised he isn't here with you. What's the matter, Detective Weaver? Are the two of you still not getting along? Not even enough to work out who's trying to kill your partner together so that there won't be any more surprise attacks?"

"There won't be any more surprise attacks because he isn't alone anymore," the senior detective answered her coldly while he glared across the table at the woman. "Who is he? This hired killer you've turned to for help?"

"Now why would I help you more than I already have?" she retorted, as she struggled a little against the cuffs around her wrists in effort to make them feel not so tight. "I've already let slip too much. Perhaps if I hadn't, Rogers would be dead now."

Weaver nodded slightly and then he replied, "Perhaps so. I will catch him, Victoria. I will and when I do, he'll become a prisoner here too. It doesn't take much for criminals such as yourself to turn against one another especially when deals are made for special perks, reduced prison sentences, etc… Or when they learn another criminal has spoken out against them so that a harsher punishment is awarded to them instead. You may have power and money, but none of that goes very far in prison."

Victoria looked at him smugly as she responded, "I'll get by just fine. But I do appreciate your concern for my welfare."

"Enough with your mockery!" he suddenly shouted out of anger, as he stood again and leaned over the table while he glared darkly at the criminal sitting before him. "Tell me who it was you hired to kill my partner… Now!"

"You're the detective here, Weaver," she answered snidely, as she leaned back in her chair as far as she was able. "Not me. So I suggest you go out there and do whatever it is you do to find out. Because you won't get any help from me. Unless of course you release me free and clear. Which I know you won't do just yet. But perhaps you would for the right information somewhere down the road. Ta ta."

The senior detective glared at her, until finally he stood tall once more and then left the room to return to his office, where he hoped to be able to get into the police records' database on his computer so he could go through probable suspects who might have a tie with Victoria Belfrey. Unfortunately, he walked into his office and had just taken a seat at his desk, when Eloise Gardener entered the room close behind him as she knocked on his door much to his dismay.

The tree nymph looked at the Dark One sweetly while she continued to keep up her façade as she stated, "Good evening, Detective. I thought I might find you here with Detective Rogers. I saw the news earlier. I saw that your partner was nearly killed this afternoon and I wanted to make sure he was okay. After all he's done for me."

She then reached out her hand for him to shake in greeting as she continued, "Oh… and by the way, I'm… I'm Eloise Gardener. We haven't actually met yet. But Rogers told me you're Detective Weaver. Is that right?"

"That's right," Weaver replied coldly, without reciprocating her gesture on account of seeing right through the villainess' façade, which she then knew, so she lowered her hand and finally dropped her act as they moved on. "As much as I wish it was you who were behind Rogers' attack this time… Gothel, I do know for a fact you weren't. What happened to him was retaliation for him rescuing you last night. Victoria's retaliation. And you and I both know you had no need of being rescued. So tell me… why would you make it so you became Lady Tremaine's prisoner here in this Land Without Magic after the curse fell over us all?"

"I have my reasons," the witch responded with a cruel smile on her face while she looked into Gold's eyes. "Most of which involve Rogers. Or rather… Captain Hook. I knew that a part of him, no matter what I did to bury his true memories down under the thralls of my curse, would always feel the fatherly bond towards his daughter and so the best solution I had to try to keep them from finding one another, was to keep him confused by implanting false feelings in order to make him feel drawn to an innocent girl who needed his help to save her, like he's needed to save our daughter all these years. I knew about his many chess games with her in the tower before I poisoned his heart, and that he has what some would call a white knight complex. I used those feelings he has for her against him now. So he would be drawn to me instead. He will be mine one day, Dark One. Or he'll die."

Gold looked at her darkly when he rose from the chair at his desk again so he was facing her and then he answered, "The trouble with us villains, dearie… is that we always underestimate true love despite our many experiences in fighting against it. Hook and Alice share that bond of true love and therefore fate has brought them together despite what you've done to try to stop it. And what's done, cannot be undone. I will protect him from you despite how hard he fights me in my doing so. We haven't connected yet, but I hope soon he will come to trust me as he did before the curse."

Gothel showed no emotion in her eyes or on her face whatsoever before she turned away and started towards the door to leave, until she turned her head to look back at him again while she stood in the doorway and replied, "Maybe so. But right now, it's your duty to protect him from whatever it is Victoria has done. Stop this assassin… whoever he is. And then let Rogers know when he returns from wherever he may be at this moment that I came by to see he was alright. Good night, Detective Weaver. And good luck. I have a feeling you're going to need it."


	8. Chapter 8

Consequences to Being a White Knight

Chapter Eight

Inside Roni's Bar…

Upon their arrival, Regina walked again alongside Rogers once they got out of her car, as she, Henry, and Tilly walked inside, then they entered the enclosed room separated from the rest of the bar so they could talk in private, while Remy tended the bar for her after Regina had left him in charge for when she and Henry will be away. The former Queen allowed Tilly and her son to help Rogers upon seeing him hurting more than he wanted any of them to see, while she walked over to speak with her friend behind the bar so she could explain why she and Henry hadn't left yet, then Regina quickly poured some coffees before she returned to her friends and son again.

"So… what's the rest of the story?" Henry was asking the detective when Regina rejoined them then and set the coffees down on the table in front of everyone. "You were attacked by someone? For saving Eloise?"

"He was a brute," Tilly quickly retorted curtly before Rogers had the chance to answer him. "That's really all I saw. Or… at least he looked like a brute to me. But his face was turned away from me as he ran from the building."

Rogers looked over at the young woman and smiled, then he continued, "He definitely fought like a brute. He caught me unaware. I never should have let my guard down. Victoria has hired whoever this man is to kill me in retaliation for setting Eloise free and probably for arresting her too. And what's worse… people around here keep warning me Eloise isn't what she seems and yet no one will tell me why. To me she's only a girl who needed someone to give a damn about her. So, until she proves to be otherwise, I'm going to continue to help her. Even if Victoria sends her man after me again, and Weaver has a problem with my doing so."

Regina looked at him in concern and then smiled at him sadly as she answered, "It's like I told you earlier, Detective… you're a good cop. But you're also a good man. You see the good in everyone just like Henry does."

"It's unfair that you're paying for having a good heart because of Victoria and this mysterious assailant," she added worryingly after she glanced over at her son when Henry looked at her too upon hearing Roni's comment about him, then she turned back to their friend again. "You said you couldn't remember much about your attacker. Aside from the neatly trimmed beard and mustache. Which is actually more helpful than you might believe. But is there anything else? Weaver thinks he could have been in here for a drink or two, and he's probably right. Most people from Hyperion Heights have come in a time or two. Did he say anything to you? Anything that might give you reason to believe you could have met before?"

"Why would you ask that?" Rogers questioned her in confusion. "He's a hired thug. He wouldn't need his own reason to hate me to take Victoria's contract placed on my head."

Henry then spoke up again saying, "Actually… it's a good place to start. If you can eliminate the people you can think of who may be all too happy to accept such a job from Victoria Belfrey, you can help to narrow down the list. How many people do you know with a beard and mustache?"

The detective shrugged while he looked between Roni and the younger man, then he replied, "Plenty. However, there's no one who really stands out in my mind who…"

"On second thought… maybe there is someone," Rogers then whispered upon suddenly remembering his past with private investigator and suspected criminal, John Mesure. "I do know someone possibly matching the description of the little Tilly and I saw of the attacker. And I wouldn't put it past him. He was involved in a case I worked shortly after I became a cop. He's a private investigator, but I soon suspected he was an imposter. Only… I could never prove it. He eventually tried to take my badge by conjuring up false allegations against me, but nothing ever stuck. We soon parted ways and that was that. Or so I thought…"

"If this killer turns out to be him," Regina finished for him in concern for her friend's wellbeing.

Many years ago, within the Wish Realm…

Hook entered a tavern late one afternoon and collapsed in despair at a table within the back of the room away from most of the other patrons with whom he had no desire of conversing with other than to ask for enough rum from the owner or the wench to render him into a drunken stupor where he would no longer have to remember his greatest sin that had cost him a life with his only daughter. The sin that haunted him in every waking moment so long as he remained sober.

 _While he sat there and stared ahead of him at nothing, his thoughts brought the Captain back to two years earlier, on the most painful night of his life as he was once again reminded of his deepest regret, when he saw himself return to the tower where his daughter remained a prisoner on account of Gothel and then climb up it to enter the window into the room in which he and Alice once lived together._

 _Inside, Alice sat in front of her easel while she painted on the canvas before her until Hook knocked his hook up against the wood of the wall beside him as he entered with his bag over his back and smiled when she saw him while she happily exclaimed, "Papa! I was starting to worry."_

 _When he stepped down from the window and walked around the painting his daughter was working on, he looked over at her lovingly and gently responded her, "There's no need to worry, Starfish. I'm here now."_

 _"_ _I have something in here that can smash this tower to pieces," he continued once he pulled his bag in front of him, then pulled out the magical weapon the Captain had left to seek out… Maui's fishhook made of what appeared to be ivory, or even bone, and held it up for Alice to see._

 _Alice smiled and stood from her stool as she set her paints and paintbrush down before she turned back to her father and walked over to embrace him. However, in the moment they both touched, Hook gasped in pain as he was suddenly flung back heavily against the wall behind him by some magical force not yet known to them, then he collapsed against the floor in a heap._

 _"_ _Papa?" she questioned fearfully upon him being hurt and hearing him exhale sharply before crying out in agony._

 _As he raised his hand over his heart in his chest, Hook painfully screamed, "Aah!"_

 _She started to run towards her father, until another dark force then overwhelmed her as well, as Alice swiftly took several steps back and grabbed hold of her wrist in pain when a brand suddenly became burned into her skin while she whimpered, "Ohh! What's happening?"_

 _"_ _I… I don't know," Hook answered with heavy strain in his voice while he continued to writhe against the anguish over his heart._

 _"_ _But I do," another voice replied from behind Alice as she immediately spun around to see the witch she didn't yet know then to be her mother standing before them._

 _Hook glared up at the villainess from the floor as he asked weakly, "What did you do to me?"_

 _Gothel cruelly responded, "No less than you deserve. You're poisoned now, and it will corrupt your heart every time Alice draws near. You've both been marked."_

 _"_ _Please don't do this," Alice then pleaded with the witch as Gothel turned her head to finally look at her daughter. "He's my father. He's a good man."_

 _"_ _Not good enough," the nymph retorted darkly when she turned her eyes back on the man who shunned her years ago. "Your father went on a little detour because there's more important things to him than his daughter. He fought a duel for his precious honor."_

 _While Hook continued to breathe shakily as the pain burned within his chest, Alice turned around again to look down at him with disappointment in her eyes and then sadly she said, "You didn't come right back. You promised me."_

 _He struggled to keep his eyes on his daughter while he regretfully answered, "I only stopped for a moment. I swear."_

 _"_ _How did you do this to me?" the Captain then asked the witch as he continued to breathe heavily._

 _"_ _I simply made sure the bullet was poisoned," Gothel replied darkly, while Alice turned back to her as she spoke. "Your pride did the rest."_

 _Gothel then raised her hands and used her power to poof Hook away from the tower within a thick cloud of smoke as the young girl watched him vanish from before her despite her effort to run to him and she fearfully cried out, "Papa!"_

 _She sighed in worry, then uttered again, "Papa."_

 _When the dark cloud of magic surrounding him cleared once more, Hook struggled to move and rise to his feet. He discovered what had happened upon finding himself upon the ground outside just below the tower which now loomed over him, then turned his head weakly as Gothel appeared before him again._

 _"_ _You can't keep me from her," he shouted out at her angrily while he continued to try to rise despite feeling so weak and in such pain. "I will get her out."_

 _"_ _No," the witch responded plainly, yet cruelly once more, as she bent down to pick up the fishhook he had collected in hope of freeing his daughter from the tower so she could take it away from him. "You will fail her again and again. You might as well go back to the tavern and have another drink."_

 _All of a sudden, from the room high above them, Alice cried out to him, "Papa, where are you?! Save me!"_

 _Hook made another effort to hurtle himself towards Gothel to try to fight her for the magical weapon only to fail, while she looked down on the pirate captain at her feet and articulated coldly, "Such a heartbreaking cry for help."_

 _"_ _Papa, please help!" his daughter pleaded from above them._

 _"_ _I couldn't let you free her," the witch continued cruelly. "And now you never will."_

Hook's memory finished playing out at least twice within his mind before the owner of the tavern approached him as he spoke nastily saying, "Pirates aren't welcome here, friend. I don't care who you are, or that you might have the money to pay for your rum."

Hook glared up at the man darkly and then lifted himself back to his feet as he prepared to argue with the man, until a couple of the other patrons approached the pirate from behind while one called out, "Well… well… well… if it isn't Captain Hook. The pirate, who went soft because of a bastard child whose mother ran away upon being unable to stand the sight of them both. Isn't that right… Hook? That you gave up whatever so called honor you thought you had for some wretched damsel now trapped inside a tower no thanks to you?"

The Captain kept his back to the men, merely turning his head towards them as he glared darkly at them through the corners of his eyes, while very stealthily, he pulled one of his daggers from his belt and then suddenly threw it into the scorner's chest to kill him, before Hook suddenly began to attack the others with the man as well once he swiftly pulled his sword much to everyone's surprise. Once all those who mocked him and reminded him more of his guilt by mocking his daughter as well were all dead by his sword, daggers, and his hook, Hook reached over the bar to grab a bottle of rum from behind it, then finally walked out without ever uttering a single word.

By the time the sun set later that evening, he stumbled into a tunnel he'd never been before expecting to walk out into a dark cave where he could hide himself away from the world and at last perish. Only instead, he found himself within a grotto, where he stood upon a platform of rock and stone raised above the ocean now all around him. It was exactly the kind of place he'd been searching for since he had lost all hope of ever finding a way to cure the poison over his heart and to save his daughter from the tower imprisoning her.

Hook collapsed again to the ground and continued to drink what remained of the bottle of rum he had stolen from the tavern hours earlier, finally becoming drunk after having had a number of drinks beforehand too. And it was in that condition he finally passed out, within the drunken stupor like he wanted.

Nearly six months passed, when one night a stranger entered the grotto followed closely by his most trusted friend upon seeking out the pirate captain he heard lived there through others who had also attempted to enter his hideaway for a number of reasons and were lucky to live to walk back out. Yet as the men did so, the Captain found them first, as Hook suddenly raised a blade to one of the strangers' throats from behind him.

"Who are you?" he asked darkly, while the other man with his captive immediately started to pull his own sword from his scabbard, until the one with the knife to his throat gently shook his head to make his friend stand down. "Why have you come? Trust me when I say, I'm not the man you seek. If you've come seeking anyone at all."

"If you're Captain Hook, then you're exactly who I've come to find," the first stranger answered carefully, not moving or doing anything to show Hook he was no threat to him. "My name is Prince Eric. This is my closest friend, Sebastian. We've come to ask you for your help."

Hook at last released the Prince when he shoved him away from him before he turned to sit down on the ground, then pulled a bottle of rum out from a chest beside him and took a large swig before he glanced up again at the men standing above him as he replied, "Clearly you don't know my reputation very well, Your Majesty. Because if you did, you wouldn't be here seeking any help from me. Now get out. Before I change my mind about sparing your lives after you trespassed into my home."

Eric could see how much the man sitting before him was hurting upon recognizing the misery and hate for himself in his eyes despite the callous and cruel façade he displayed for them, but despite the pirate's warning, he didn't leave, nor did his companion. Instead, the Prince gently sat down on the ground in front of Hook so they could continue to talk without having to stand over him.

He then continued, "Please, Captain. I don't know the pain that haunts you, but I do know the pain which haunts me and that's that my wife has been kidnapped. Held prisoner by another pirate with a much worse reputation than any I've heard about you. And I don't mean that in a mocking manner or to be cruel. I simply mean this Captain who has my Ariel is vile and the worst sort of pirate known throughout the Seas. I've sought you out because I've heard you've had dealings with this pirate and have bested him time and time again. His name… is Captain Black Beard."

"If that's true, then never fear," Hook responded coldly. "Black Beard gets pleasure in kidnapping royalty and then seeking a small fortune for their return. If you want to get your wife back, all you need do is to pay whatever ransom he asks for once he does so."

"I have," Prince Eric stated sadly.

Sebastian finally spoke too as he added, "Black Beard named his price and when the Prince paid, the pirate only sought more. Which Eric also paid, only Black Beard still hasn't released her."

Eric nodded as he glanced up at his friend, then turned back to the pirate captain and whispered, "I've no idea what's come of Ariel, other than that she's still being held Black Beard's prisoner. Otherwise she would be long since back in my arms. I know she's alive because I would know if she weren't. However, I'm still afraid for her and I can't give up trying to rescue her. Please… please, help me save her from Black Beard. I will give you whatever you want in return for your service. Gold… jewels… anything. Just name your price."

"I don't rescue damsels in distress any longer," Hook retorted in despair. "I failed to save someone I loved and lost a long time ago. Since then, this is where I belong in this wretched world. And it's here that I shall remain. Now leave."

"You were right," the Prince then continued again. "You're not the man I believed you to be. But I believe you are the right man to help me despite what you believe. I'll be back tomorrow with a new offer. And the next day if I must. If you won't do it for me, Captain… help me for Ariel, or yourself."

With that said, Sebastian reached out his hand for Eric to take so he could help him stand again, then they finally left the grotto so they could return to the Prince's ship floating off shore in the ocean beyond the caves where Hook found a home within. The pirate watched them finally leave, then suddenly threw the bottle in his hand hard against one of the rock walls in front of him, causing the glass bottle to shatter.


	9. Chapter 9

Consequences to Being a White Knight

Chapter Nine

When Rogers finished stating he finally had a suspect in mind for the man who attempted to kill him, he stood again and pulled his jacket back on so he could return to the station to talk with his partner, while Regina stood up as well as she asked him worryingly, "Where are you going? You haven't finished explaining why you think this private investigator might have been the one who tried to kill you. And you really shouldn't be going off on your own right now."

Rogers stumbled and Henry immediately stood up to help him stand upright, then the detective nodded his gratitude before he turned back to Roni again as he replied, "The station isn't far from here. I have to talk to Weaver about this. Don't worry… I'll be fine. I doubt whoever it was would try again so soon."

"You don't know that," Tilly responded with concern. "I'll walk with you. At least until we get to the station. No one would try again if you're with someone. It's only when you're alone that they would be daring enough to try. Like you were earlier."

"That's a great idea," Regina answered in agreement when she looked over at the young woman and smiled, then turned to her friend again. "She's right, Rogers. You should listen to her. Henry and I… We… we were on our way out of town to get away for a few days, but when we heard what happened and with the trouble that's going on…"

The detective interrupted, "Please don't change your plans on my account. Everything's going to be fine around here without you both for a few days. Believe me, if you have a chance to break free for a time, you should do so. I'll see you when you get back."

The former Queen nodded, then she smiled at him and replied, "Just… be careful. We'll see you when we get back."

"Aye… that you will," Rogers responded and smiled, then he and Tilly turned to leave the bar so they could make their way to the police precinct.

Once they reached the station, Tilly said goodbye to the detective and watched him enter inside before she finally turned and walked away again herself. When Rogers arrived, he walked into his partner's office where he expected he'd be and found Weaver working on his computer at his desk. However, he stopped typing when Rogers appeared and turned to look over at him.

"How did you get back here?" Weaver questioned sternly. "Tell me you didn't walk back here from Roni's alone?"

Rogers shook his head in frustration and scoffed, then he answered, "You pretend to care about my welfare and yet whenever I try to reach out to you for help, you fall back on your tricks to push me away again. I just wish you would either let me in on whatever secrets you're keeping from me… for my protection or whatnot, or you would give up and find yourself a new partner to keep under your thumb."

He then changed the subject in order to avoid getting into another argument with his partner as he continued, "Don't worry… I didn't walk back alone. Tilly walked with me, then she left to return home. I came back here because I thought you'd like to know I thought of a suspect who somewhat fits what little Tilly and I could see of my attacker. His name is John Mesure. Or at least… it's the only name I know him by."

"I'm not sure I understand," Weaver replied in confusion.

"Just after I had become a cop, however many years ago it was, I worked a case with this man," the younger detective responded once he sat down at the empty and unused desk across from Weaver's. "He's a private investigator who claimed to have information I needed. I can't recall too much of the detail as to how this really came about, but… shortly after we started, I sensed that something didn't feel right about him and I came to suspect he might have been an imposter. I couldn't ever prove it and we stopped working together once the case was solved, but Mesure and I didn't get along well. My partner then and I did solve the case. However, he eventually became more of a hinder to our investigation than an ally. My point is… he became angry when I tried to prove he was a fake and tried to make sure I lost my badge. When he failed to do that, I received death threats, then soon I was shot by a mysterious assailant whom I never saw and was left for dead in an alley. Just after I started working Eloise's case. Just like how I came to be in danger again today. And I suspect he's back to try to finish what he failed to do back then… for Victoria Belfrey. Mesure disappeared and I never could find him again, but I never believed it was because he left town. He just didn't wish to be found. I can't believe that I didn't think of him sooner."

Weaver nodded and then he finally spoke again saying, "It seems you may be right. You might not have found him then, but hopefully together you and I can now."

He sat forward in his chair and began to type something into his computer, then when he finished and stared at the screen, the senior detective continued, "It appears you were right about John Mesure not being this imposter's real name. According to an old case file I'm looking at on my computer, old bones belonging to the real John Mesure were found buried in an old construction sight never finished. About a year later. And his murder was never solved. Your assailant must have killed him, then stole his identity for himself. That is until you started digging around upon suspecting he was an imposter. When he failed to stop you, he disappeared to avoid being caught."

"But now he's back," Rogers answered crossly. "To try to kill me for Victoria a second time. I didn't get a good look at him today when he attacked me. And for some reason, I can't seem to recall what he looked like back then either. Other than that he has… facial hair. Even though we worked together. I don't understand how that's possible."

"It's quite puzzling for sure," Weaver replied to him, even though he knew that the reasons for his partner's confusion was caused by the curse and the false memories implanted within his mind. "I've spoken with Victoria again and she's refusing to talk. No matter what I've offered her for the information we seek. She won't give in. So… we're going to have to find out who this mystery assassin is, and where he is ourselves. And we will. The question is… where do we begin?"

The younger man thought for a moment and then when an idea dawned on him, Rogers responded, "We could start looking inside the real John Mesure's office where he worked until the imposter stole his life away from him. We worked together very briefly, but it was at least long enough for him to have left something of his behind. At the very least… his fingerprints perhaps."

His partner smiled and nodded, then answered, "Smart thinking. I'm surprised I didn't think of it first. We will do this, Rogers. But we'll do this together. No more of you sneaking off or thinking you have to do things on your own any longer. Not so long as you're this man's target anyway. You've proved yourself plenty despite what I've made you believe. I ask that you try to trust me enough to have your back. Can you do that?"

"I suppose so," Rogers said quietly, as he sat back in the chair he was sitting in while he studied Weaver's eyes in search for any sign of deception, and for the first time… found none. "I only ever wanted your acceptance like I thought I had when you asked for me to become your partner, over everyone else who works here. Clearly you wanted something else. Something I'm unable to give you. Perhaps in time that'll still change. I hope so. Just remember… I won't ever compromise my morals that you said you saw in me to do it."

"I would expect nothing else," Detective Weaver uttered when he smiled at his partner again. "Let's go."


	10. Chapter 10

Consequences to Being a White Knight

Chapter Ten

Detectives Weaver and Rogers arrived twenty minutes later outside the office where the real John Mesure used to work his own cases for his clients, in the older man's car since the younger's still had yet to be towed back to Rogers' residence or to the station. The two men walked up to the door and were surprised to find it was unlocked, so without having to break the door down in order to get inside, they entered the office so they could begin to look around for anything that might have been left behind by the imposter.

"So, what exactly did Victoria tell you when you went to talk to her?" Rogers finally asked after they had been searching for nearly ten minutes in silence. "The first time that is. I mean… the number of times you tried to call me implies you were worried I might have been in danger. I know Tilly called you, or sent you a message, but…"

"She wasn't too cooperative at first," the older detective responded sternly, not looking over at his partner on account of him believing himself to be partly responsible for the danger Rogers was in. "However, she eventually let slip that she had… taken certain precautions to try to prevent you from rescuing Eloise. When I applied a little pressure, she told me she had placed a contract on your head and hired a man she's had dealings with in the past to kill you. Only, he failed to before you found her. And then you arrested Victoria last night before she could call the hit off. I did try calling you, but…"

His partner interrupted, "…but I didn't exactly make it easy for you to warn me. No matter how we might feel towards one another in regard to our partnership and how we do our jobs, it doesn't mean I should have kept ignoring your calls. Just like I said before. Had I answered any of your calls or read your messages, I could have saved myself from the pain I'm currently feeling right now. I could have prevented the attack as well as you. Again… I'm sorry for that, Weaver."

Weaver finally turned his head to glance at his friend and nodded while he replied, "It's all water under the bridge. It's going to take work for us to come to trust one another just as you said."

"I agree," the younger man answered quietly. "So… do you care to share with me why you, Tilly, Victoria, Roni, and it seems like everyone else in this neighborhood are so against me in saving Eloise? Or do you still not trust me enough to share what's really going on?"

"It isn't so much the question of trust, Rogers," the former villain responded in frustration. "I do trust you, but…"

Before he could continue to try to make up another excuse for being unable to share the truth with him yet again, Rogers, who figured he was about to do so, suddenly cut him off once more when he found something buried within a hidden locked compartment concealed within one of the desk drawers, which he suspected didn't actually belong to the real private investigator… something that the imposter most likely didn't intend to leave behind when he had been forced to disappear in a hurry thanks to Rogers' investigation into him.

When Rogers managed to pick open the lock to discover what was inside, he spoke up quickly saying, "I think I just found something inside this secret compartment that I'll bet this man didn't mean to leave here before he disappeared. A knife. Still coated with dried blood. I have a pretty good feeling we'll discover this blood belongs to the real John Mesure."

Weaver turned to face his partner to see the blade for himself and upon getting a good look at the weapon's hilt, his eyes darkened upon recognizing who it once belonged to just as Hook would have if he was awake, then he replied, "I suspect you're right. These initials engraved within the hilt…"

"BB," the younger detective stated in confusion when he looked between his partner and the weapon in his hand, until Rogers suddenly winced in pain before he finally took a seat in the chair behind the desk to try to make himself more comfortable after Weaver carefully reached out to take it from him. "Do they mean something to you?"

"No… but there's something about this blade that seems vaguely familiar," his partner impartially lied to him in hope his answer would be enough to explain the sudden darkness in his eyes. "Listen, Rogers… I think it's about time you should go home. I'll drop you off and be sure to have your car towed back from the abandoned building to your apartment by morning so you'll have it back. It's really getting late and you're clearly hurting more than you're letting on."

Rogers looked up at his partner in frustration while he answered curtly, "I can't just go home, especially now that we've found something that might lead us to this man trying to kill me."

Weaver crossly retorted, "It will only confirm you were correct in thinking this man you worked that case with was an imposter and that he most likely did kill Mesure so he could take on his identity. It won't help us to find him. And you don't have to be there at the station while the forensics on this knife are run. You were nearly killed today, Rogers. You need to take care of yourself. I don't want to hear anymore argument from you. Do you understand?"

"All right… but if you plan to go into the station early for the results, then promise me you'll call me once they come in," the younger detective responded in better understanding. "I promise, I'll actually answer this time, then be in as soon as I can."

"I can do that," Weaver then replied and carefully wrapped the bloodied knife inside a handkerchief he had in his coat pocket so he could keep it better protected while he carried it on him. "Come on… let's go."

After a few minutes, the two detectives finally left the office and Weaver drove with Rogers in the passenger's seat towards the younger man's apartment. Upon their arrival, the senior detective was the first to get out of his car again and gently helped his partner out of the car, then walked with him inside just to make sure he got into his apartment okay. Rogers didn't thank him for doing so at first, but he didn't need to. Weaver knew that he was grateful for his help whether he was willing to admit it out loud or not.

Before Weaver walked off again, Rogers entered inside, then turned back to the door as he said quietly, "I'll see you in the morning, Weaver. And… thank you. Again, for being there today to save me from the fire along with Tilly. I am grateful to you for that. But there's something I need you to understand… If you want me to trust you, I need real answers. Answers that include why it is you were so against me rescuing Eloise, and why you act as though you can't trust me with the truth behind whatever is really going on here. If you can't give them to me, then you'll have to find yourself another partner. Because I can't keep working like this. I hope you can understand that."

The older man nodded and then he answered, "I do. Try to get some rest, Rogers. You need to take care of yourself too. I'll see you in the morning. And again, don't worry about your car. It'll be outside waiting for you when you leave for work."

At last, his partner left and Rogers turned to walk further inside his apartment towards his room so he could change into more comfortable clothes. However, when he walked into his room, the detective was startled when a stranger suddenly appeared in front of him as he blocked his path and swiftly blew a white powder substance into his face before Rogers had the chance to defend himself, let alone even see the man now standing directly in front of him. Upon his assailant's attack, Rogers was immediately rendered incapable of using his free will against what was to come, as he grew still and stood immobile staring blankly ahead of him in wait for orders he now had no choice but to follow.

"Devil's breath…" Black stated smugly while he looked into his adversary's blank eyes and then turned to the remainder of the powder contained within the small glass bottle in his hands. "She was smart to collect some of this drug. It's quite ingenious. It can render a person completely immobile and susceptible to suggestion. Or in this case… whatever commands I choose to give to you. You have no choice but to comply. And then once it wears off, you wouldn't even remember what it is you're going to do or that I was ever here. She wanted me to use you to take care another of her enemies and you will, but you're also going to do a few things for me too, detective. Nod if you understand me so far."

"Excellent," the imposter continued and then laughed haughtily when Rogers simply nodded like he had asked him to do. "Now… to get down to business. Tomorrow, you're to find Eloise Gardener and you're going to kill her. Publicly, quietly… I don't really care how you do it. These are orders that come strictly from the woman who wants to see you and this Eloise Gardener dead. But before you kill her, I need you to destroy any and all evidence you have against me, then erase my record from the police databanks as well. You should probably do this tonight while your station is mostly empty and certainly before your partner suspects you're up to something that's against your character. Oh… and I'm also going to need some money so I can get myself out of town and settled in some place new. Surely there's plenty of money sitting in your precinct's evidence locker going unused. I want as much as you can get your hands on."

When he glanced down at the detective's prosthetic hand upon remembering it from when he had worked with him before, he sneered cruelly and corrected himself saying, "I'm sorry… hand. Be sure to grab as much as you can get your hand on. That ought not to be too hard for you. Then, once you've completed all that, you're to leave the money inside John Mesure's office. Should you run into your partner or any of the rest of the police force here in the Heights while you're completing your tasks, you're not to give them something to suspect something's wrong with you. You're to act as though everything's normal until you get me what I need and then kill that girl. Once it's all done… Well, this drug will eventually wear off. Just make sure you do everything as quickly as possible and then… end your own miserable existence too. Nod once more if you understand everything I've just told you."

Rogers nodded again as Blake Black smiled before he turned to the window to look outside upon seeing lights coming through and saw the detective's car being towed back from the building where they had gotten into their fight, then he walked towards the door to leave while he finally added, "Good luck, Detective. Don't let me down. You will regret it if you do."


	11. Chapter 11

Consequences to Being a White Knight

Chapter Eleven

Back in the past…

Out within the ocean surrounding the nearby cave wherein Captain Hook of the Wish Realm resided, Prince Eric also of the Wish Realm walked up above deck from within his quarters onboard his ship he sailed from the Maritime Kingdom carrying two letters. One letter he scribed for his most loyal advisor, Grimsby whom he had left in charge of his people for as long as he was gone, and the other for his wife's father, both in order to inform them he was closer to finding Ariel.

He made his way to the starboard side, carefully tied the first letter to the leg of a dove waiting there for him to do so, and Eric finally released it into the sky for the bird to fly away so it could deliver his letter to the advisor. The second letter, he placed inside a glass bottle, sealed it, and then dropped it into the ocean knowing that it would be found by the merpeople living beneath the ocean once it sank into the fathoms below.

The Prince watched the dove fly away while Sebastian walked up behind him and spoke quietly saying, "Let me guess… you told our people we've grown closer to finding Ariel? I don't understand why you believe this drunken pirate is the key to helping us save her from Black Beard. Hook clearly isn't his greatest enemy anymore. Or if he is…"

"It's obvious something's happened to change Hook from the dreadful pirate he once was," Eric answered before the other man with him could finish. "But we don't need that man's help. We need someone who has given up his villainous life. And I sensed something in Hook other than evil."

"You're right, but the despair he's fallen into… for whatever reason, it hasn't made him any less selfish," the former crab, now a man with flaming red hair curtly responded in frustration because of his friend's dangerous belief that Hook could possibly be the man able to help them. "Your Highness… I want to rescue Ariel from Black Beard as much as you do. But is it really a good idea to entrust a mission of such importance to a pirate like him?"

The royal from the Maritime Kingdom finally turned around to look at his friend and then he replied, "We're running out of options, Sebastian. Ariel has been missing for nearly three months now. We've done everything else we can think of. Once we finally learned it was Black Beard who kidnapped her after he sent his ransom, we sent soldiers to get her back and they all failed. We even went as far as to pay his ransom twice. Who better to fight a pirate… than another pirate? And I've heard of Captain Hook. He's brave and he fights for what he wants, as he's been doing for centuries. Thanks to a land I've heard of which prevents people from growing old. Hook is still alive, Sebastian. He's survived every fight he's ever fought. Despite the shape he's in these days. That's got to mean something. I can talk with him. I can convince him to help us. I know I can. I have to keep trying, or I'm afraid I'll never see Ariel again."

Sebastian finally nodded and then answered, "Okay. Then, we'll keep trying. I'm with you, Your Highness."

Meanwhile…

Elsewhere within the Wish Realm, within a tavern known as Fish & Bird, Captain Black Beard spent the evening playing cards and dice with his crewmen who continued to travel with him despite having lost his last ship to a storm, as well as the Jolly Roger to its rightful owner years before, after he had stolen it away from Captain Hook upon a particularly low point in his life even before he had left the pirate life to stay with his daughter.

Upon becoming restless, the villainous pirate captain stood from his table and walked away from his men to be alone for awhile, until he finally entered the basement beneath the tavern where his captive remained with her wrists and ankles bound in ropes within the corner of the room, like she has been for the last three months though she's been moved a number of times during the pirates' travels.

"So… how are you feeling tonight, Princess?" Black Beard asked insincerely, as he slowly walked over to stand above the mermaid who had traded her fishtail for legs so she could be with her Prince thanks to the bracelet given to her by her father as a wedding present. "Would you care for a drink? Of rum that is… not water."

"Like I've told you before, I will never drink with you," Ariel responded crossly, then raised her head and glared up at her captor. "Aren't you growing tired of having to drag me around everywhere with you? What is it you really want? My husband and my father have both paid you your ransom. You have yourself more wealth than a group of pirates know what to do with. They have even offered you a brand new ship made to your likings. It's being built right now as we speak and yet I know you don't plan to set me free once they give it to you. I overheard your men talking. So what is it you really want then?"

The cruel Captain smiled down at her haughtily and laughed, then he finally replied, "I doubt it's something your Prince would ever give me, so I can't very well come out to ask him for it. He's too noble and honorable. Which is too bad because there's no such honor among pirates. Instead, I had to be creative."

The little mermaid looked up at him worryingly as she asked, "What are you talking about? What have you done?"

"I had two of my men disguise themselves so they could walk into the port nearby where your darling husband is holding up on his own ship undiscovered and I told them to find the Prince once he made his way into town, then to pretend to be talking amongst themselves about one of my former enemies having bested me time and time again," Black Beard answered her smugly. "I knew if I refused to accept the ransom demands I've taken from them for your release by claiming they're not enough to feed my own greed, your Prince would become desperate enough to hire another pirate some men believe to be even more ruthless than I to join him in an effort to come against me to get you back. And it turns out that my plan appears to have worked… at least enough to get Prince Eric to go and talk to this enemy of mine. My enemy also seemingly has yet to accept. You see… I've sent spies out to look after your Prince. To watch his every move. So I know what he's up to."

"Who is this other pirate?" Ariel questioned him darkly. "This… pirate you hate so much? Will he hurt my husband?"

The pirate knelt down in front of her and then responded, "Captain Hook. And perhaps he will kill your husband. But I doubt it. He's gone soft. Grown weak and yet my men and I have still been incapable of killing him. He's still rather cunning. However, if he keeps going in the direction it appears he's headed, soon he won't even be worth my trouble in trying to kill him."

She glared up at him again as she coldly retorted, "So that's what all this has been about… revenge against your greatest enemy whom you can't kill yourself. And you've dragged me and my husband into this, not caring if we wind up getting killed ourselves."

"Yes… that's pretty much it," Black Beard said coolly. "My plan sounds a lot more complicated than what it actually is, Princess. But Hook has stolen too much from me and I won't let him get away with it any longer. We shall see if your husband succeeds in enlisting him to help him save you. You better pray that he does. Because if not… I will kill you. And then I will kill him too. Do you understand now?"

"Yes," Ariel replied sadly as she lowered her head when tears began to slip down from the corners of her eyes. "You're a monster."


	12. Chapter 12

Consequences to Being a White Knight

Chapter Twelve

Two years earlier…

 _Captain Hook stared coldly at his opponent who had challenged him to a pistol duel so he would be forced to prove he still had a shred of honor left within him, then turned to his first mate, when Smee held up a wooden gun case and opened the lid to reveal two pistols lying atop of a red velvet lining while the younger man on Hook's crew held it up for both Captains to each take one. At last, Captain Ahab was the first to pick up a pistol and Hook reached down to do the same, then they turned to stand back to back in wait for the duel to begin._

 _"_ _Ten paces," Smee began while he called out the rules of dueling to both men so they would understand them, even though as pirates they've both been in pistol and sword duels before. "Then turn._ _Then shoot."_

 _"_ _One…" the first mate continued, as Hook and Ahab each started taking the counted paces away from each other with their pistols raised at their sides so they would be prepared to fire when the moment came._ _"_ _Two…_ _Three…_ _Four…_ _Five… Six…_ _Seven…_ _Eight…_ _Nine…_ _Ten!"_

 _And then, it was in that moment in which Killian remembered his very brief life with his daughter had suddenly flashed through his mind just as he spun around to face off against the other Captain, aimed, and fired like Ahab had done too. Two bullets flew between them, and struck each of their targets. One embedding itself within Hook's shoulder, the other deep within Ahab's stomach… a perfect kill shot._

 _Hook heard himself stating to Alice on the morning she was born, "I should call you something."_

 _He then heard his daughter pleading to him, "Promise me you'll be okay."_

 _"_ _I will return as soon as I can," he heard himself promise her as his own gunshot fired and then Ahab's._

 _"_ _I love you," she whispered back._

 _He uttered her name, "Alice."_

 _Once the duel was ended, as both men collapsed to the ground in pain, Smee immediately ran over to kneel down beside his Captain and closest friend while Hook struggled to sit up while he grunted in pain with his hand over his wound, then his first mate spoke again to him saying assuredly, "You're fine, Sir. Just nicked… which is more than I can say for Ahab. He may survive the day, but your aim was true as the North Star."_

 _"_ _What's the matter, Sir?" he then asked once Killian weakly pulled out his daughter's black rook chess piece from his pants pocket and stared down at it in despair, then Smee gently patted his uninjured shoulder in effort to comfort him. "You did it, Captain! You won."_

 _"_ _I haven't won anything that mattered," Hook whispered softly as he shook his head while keeping his eyes firmly upon the piece, then groaned again in pain when he struggled to stand back on his feet so he could run back to his daughter. "I think… I think I've made a dreadful mistake. I have to leave."_

Within the grotto where Captain Hook of the Wish Realm continued to return to time and time again after he had settled it now as his only home into in order to hide himself away from the world, the pirate captain with one hand laid once more on the stone ground in the middle of the platform while he worked to drink himself into yet another stupor to try to forget the painful memories which continued flashing through his mind. The more he drank, the more faded they became and yet they never vanished away completely.

 _Unfortunately, he wasn't drunk enough before another memory he regretted just as much as the rest arose. Hook saw himself walk deep down into the dimly lit mines where Rumplestiltskin… his darkest and most fearful enemy of his life had been permanently imprisoned within a cell built by dwarfs and enchanted by fairy magic long ago, so he could plead with the Dark One for help to free his daughter from her own imprisonment inside the tower._

 _He was the first to call out to the other villain as he said darkly, "Dark One."_

 _Rumplestiltskin giggled from within his prison, then replied, "Yeah. Oh! Hook. Yes! It's Captain Hook."_

 _"_ _I brought what you asked for," Hook answered after giving his enemy a brief moment to gloat upon seeing him returning to plead for his help once more, then tossed Maui's fishhook down on the ground in front of the bars just out of the Dark One's reach._

 _"_ _Ohh!" the villain uttered as he laughed again and knelt down to try to reach the ivory made weapon. "Oh, yes! Yes! Oh, the magic! Closer. Bring the magic closer. Come on. Break the bars. Break the bars. Be a good boy. You and me! You and me. Look at us. The Captain and the Crocodile working together. Whoever would have thunk it?"_

 _The Captain glared at him as he coldly responded, "Don't push your luck. Now let's break Alice out of that tower. Tell me how this thing works."_

 _However, before Rumplestiltskin could, another pirate from Hook's past appeared within the tunnel's entrance after Hook had won the magical fishhook from him in a fair game of chance, as he stood before Hook once the man who lived in Neverland for two hundred years to seek revenge against the Dark One turned to face him while he spoke haughtily saying, "Oi. So the rumors are true, hmm? Captain Hook has gone soft."_

 _"_ _Ahab," Killian whispered in surprise and concern upon seeing him standing there before him. "What are you doing here?"_

 _"_ _I'm catching you on your lie, Captain," the other, one legged pirate replied smugly. "I mean… not only are you not killing the Dark One, but you're helping him. You… You have given up your great white whale."_

 _Rumplestiltskin retorted in a strange singing like voice when he said, "No… no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Now there's a fly in the ointment!"_

 _The Dark One became cold as he spoke to Hook again curtly when he continued, "Don't listen to his buzzing. Listen to my voice. Think of the tower. Think of your daughter. Don't listen to that idiot. Don't let him in your head."_

 _"_ _Oh, I'm already in his head," Ahab answered cruelly, as Killian turned his head away from the imprisoned villain again to look down in front of him before turning back to face the other Captain now standing several feet closer to him. "Look at you. Look at you… letting the Dark One do your dirty work because you can't."_

 _"_ _Hell… you can't even save your own daughter without him," he added haughtily with another cruel laugh. "Tell me… What's her name? Alice?"_

 _Upon hearing his daughter's name, Hook immediately drew his sword from its scabbard and raised it to the Captain's throat as he angrily shouted, "Don't you mention her name. Don't you ever mention her name!"_

 _However, Ahab only continued to taunt him as he laughed again and responded, "Tell me… does she know the truth about her papa?"_

 _"_ _You want to see the real me?" the pirate from the Wish Realm and Neverland questioned him darkly. "Then I'm happy to oblige."_

 _"_ _Oh… no, no, no, no," the other man replied with another chortle, then moved in closer to his enemy and lowered the blade with his hand when he knew Hook would no longer strike him down with it. "Not here. I want people to see me defeat you. By that… I mean a duel, in public… in the light of day. You see, I think it's time that everyone sees the Hook that I see."_

 _Rumplestiltskin suddenly cried out to Hook again, "No! Enough! Let me out! I'll r-r-rip his face off, take his other leg, give you his hand… Whatever you want. No one need know it's me. And then your legend will live on… forever. Otherwise, you are gonna lose everything."_

 _Killian struggled to listen to both of their tauntings as they continued on, while Ahab sneered, "No. I think he means that he's gonna lose everything. Ignore the imp."_

 _"_ _Yeah… but the imp wants what you want," the Dark One answered haughtily once again. "Freedom calls. I can help you if you let me. If you let me out!"_

 _"_ _No!" Hook finally shouted again curtly. "No. No, this is my fight, Rumplestiltskin."_

 _He then turned back to Ahab again as he added, "It's a duel you want…?"_

 _The one legged man smiled at him smugly and mumbled, "Hmm."_

 _"_ _Oh, it's a duel you'll get," Hook then responded darkly. "Pistols at dawn. Tomorrow."_

When the memory faded once more, Hook struggled to sit up and pulled himself back against one of the platform's walls so that he was no longer lying all the way down on the ground, then took another large swig of rum as Prince Eric and Sebastian walked in again like they had done the day before. The two men were disappointed to see that their last hope in saving Ariel was working to make himself drunk again, but they weren't surprised.

"Well… if it isn't Prince Eric… the man who married himself a fish," the Captain called out to Eric cruelly upon seeing the men walk in and stand before him, while he looked up at them through blurry eyes, then began to laugh. "I've since remembered hearing about you… Your Highness. You're from the Maritime Kingdom. And married yourself a mermaid. Isn't that right?"

"You're right," Sebastian replied coldly, then scoffed as he shook his head in disbelief that he had allowed Eric to convince him Hook was the man they needed help from, then he turned to face his friend once again. "I told you this was a mistake, Eric. He's never going to help us. He couldn't even if he agreed. He's slobbering drunk!"

Hook raised his flask to the red haired man while he retorted coolly, "Not just yet. But I'm getting close."

When Eric's royal guards then entered the cave carrying two chests between them, the Prince motioned for them to set them down across from where Hook sat and turned back to the pirate again while he stated, "My men and I have brought you two chests full of gold and jewels from my kingdom. The same amount as the ransoms I paid to Black Beard in payment for your help to save my wife if you agree. With it… you can pay for whatever you might need, including all the rum you could ever drink if that's what you really want. However… I know that this isn't you, Captain Hook. Not really. You said so yourself… you lost someone very dear to you and it's made you turn your back on the world and to fall so deep into despair, that rum has become the only way you can cope. I've known what it's like to want to head in that direction too."

"Really?" the pirate questioned. "You… a Prince who has everything his heart could ever desire including true love? That is… until you went and lost her."

"Surely this isn't what she, or he would want for you," the Prince continued, as he ignored the drunken man's taunt. "Not a life of misery and anguish consoled only by drinking yourself to death."

Upon Eric's mention of what his daughter might want for him, Hook rose shakily to his feet despite his condition and weakly pulled his cutlass from its scabbard, then lifted it towards the Prince's throat while he spoke coldly saying, "Don't you dare speak of her as if you know what she would want for me. She wouldn't care less anymore. I abandoned her! Fought a duel because I foolishly believed I had a shred of honor that was worth defending, instead of returning home to her right away like I promised I would. I returned afterwards, but I… I was too late. And now… because of my mistake, it cost me my life with her. I can't ever go back and she's trapped where she is because of me! Why would she care whether I lived or died? You didn't see the look of someone who saw herself betrayed and the disappointment on her face. In her eyes. But I did."

The younger man also stood on his feet with help up from his closest friend, then Eric looked at the Captain again sadly and answered, "You're wrong. I don't know who this woman might be to you, Hook. But surely she would forgive you for whatever your sins are. If she truly loves you that is. And from the despair in your eyes, I'm guessing she does."

"You know nothing," Hook responded crossly, then simply dropped his blade on the ground upon giving up and allowed himself to sink back down to the ground again as well. "Just get out. Before I change my mind and run you and your men through. I can't help you. It's like you said. I'm not the man I used to be. I don't know what I am anymore. Only what I want to become and rum is the only thing which can help me with that."

"I'm not afraid of you," the Prince replied, then motioned to his men once more with a shake of his head before the soldiers walked over to stand above the pirate, then bent down to pull him back up to his feet as they held Hook between them. "I know you won't understand why I'm doing this now, but perhaps once you're sober and can understand what good can come from helping someone other than yourself, then maybe you will. You won't be harmed and you won't be a prisoner for long. If you agree to help me save Ariel, then everything I've promised you will be yours and I will do all I can to help you save your love. And when you're sober… if you still refuse to help me, then you will still be free to go. I just wish for a chance to talk to you when you're not a drunkard. I hope you'll forgive me."

Eric then looked to his men as he commanded, "Take him back to our ship and lock him in my quarters, not the brig. He's a friend, not our enemy. He doesn't deserve to be treated as such. Is that understood?"

Each of the soldiers nodded as they answered in unison, "Yes of course… Your Highness."

"You can't do this!" Hook shouted angrily when the soldiers began to drag him away as Eric and Sebastian stood by. "I've done nothing to you! You can't just take me prisoner and force me to do your bidding!"

"He's right, Your Highness," Sebastian responded in frustration once Hook and their men had left through the tunnel of the cave. "And I don't mean because he doesn't deserve to be taken prisoner. He deserves to hang for whatever crimes he's committed in his past. Whatever they are, I'm sure we can find out easily enough. But he won't ever help you, because he has no soul. He's a villain. Nothing more than a filthy pirate."

Prince Eric looked into his friend's eyes and then said, "You may be right. But I still believe there's more to him. If he was no more than a filthy pirate like you said, he wouldn't have been capable of loving whoever it was he lost. Trust in me, Sebastian. Please."

The former crab nodded as he complied, "I do, Your Highness."


	13. Chapter 13

Consequences to Being a White Knight

Chapter Thirteen

In Hyperion Heights…

Once the imposter fulfilled his end of the bargain he made with Victoria Belfrey, he looked out the window and saw a police car with an officer sitting inside keeping watch on the building for someone such as him. He realized Rogers' partner must have asked the man there in order to make sure Rogers stayed protected now that they knew he had become a target of a hitman. The only problem, was that Black had already entered Rogers' apartment to do his job before Weaver ever made the request and before he brought Rogers home to rest for the night.

He smiled and chuckled, then stated to Rogers who was still standing behind him, "Your partner thinks he was clever to put another cop outside of your apartment to watch over you. It didn't do him much good. And since I need to get out of here, I'm going to have to resort to more violence."

Rogers blinked, then shook his head to try to clear the fog within his mind and finally responded softly, "You don't have to do that. You told me to act like myself if I were to run into anyone. I can't let you harm him. Let me… distract him for you."

"Okay… go on," Blake answered with a shrug of his head. "Do whatever you have to do if you want him to live, so long as I can go unnoticed. But just be sure you do as you've been ordered to do as well. If you fail, this won't be the last time you see me."

The detective nodded, then left his apartment once more and walked outside so he could speak with the officer sitting inside his car. The man on duty became startled when Rogers suddenly appeared and knocked on the driver's side window using his prosthetic hand, then quickly rolled it down so they could talk.

"I see you drew the short straw when Weaver must have assigned someone to stand watch over my apartment," Rogers said casually when he leaned down to look inside the car at the cop. "I'm sorry about that. But it really isn't necessary. I'll be fine."

The officer turned his head to look over at Rogers as well while he replied, "Maybe, but Weaver ordered me to stay here and make sure no one entered in or out of your building. Which brings me to ask… What are you doing out here, Rogers? You're supposed to be inside resting and trying to recover."

Rogers stood straight again and looked in front of him, then he responded, "I'm simply trying to get some fresh air. I inhaled a lot of smoke from that fire earlier today. I never thought fresh air would feel so wonderful. I'm going to go for a walk down to the station. To try to walk off the pain I'm still feeling from the beating I took. Follow me in your vehicle if you feel so inclined to do so. That way… you can continue to follow Weaver's orders."

"All right," the other man finally agreed. "I'll follow after you."

"Good," the detective stated. "Try not to lose me then."

And with that, Rogers winced as he turned and started walking down the street in the direction of the police station once more, while the cop followed slowly after him to keep his eyes on him. Walking there took awhile and it had become late into the late, but once Rogers finally arrived, he waved towards the officer, then entered the precinct to do as he had been ordered to do under the influence of the drug Black blew into his face. Thankfully, there weren't any other cops or detectives inside the building aside from the security officers and he was easily able to pass by them without arousing suspicion.

He immediately made his way to his desk and sat down, then began to type on his computer so he could get into the police databank in order to erase all record of John Mesure's bones ever having been found. Rogers then stood up and headed to the forensics lab to take back the knife belonging to the imposter with his true name's initials carved into the wooden hilt before the scientists finished with it. Thankfully, the only scientist on duty at that hour had stepped out for coffee, so stealing the knife back was easy. Rogers picked it up from the table where it laid out, then left before anyone returned.

Rogers held the knife within his good hand since he couldn't wield it with his fake one and made his way down into the precinct's basement to the furnace which heated up the entire building. He opened its door and for a moment, he stared into its flames as though he had drifted off into a strange trance upon becoming lost in thought. The part of him who still struggled against a form of this world's dark magic momentarily broke through. However, his free will was stifled once more and being unable to stop himself, Rogers tossed the blade into the fire to destroy it.

Once he finished his tasks, the detective walked through the bullpen again without saying a word to the security officers he ran into while he headed towards the doors to leave, then walked through them to do so. The other men looked at each other in confusion by the man's coldness, but just shrugged it off and returned to their patrols around the station.

A few hours later, Detective Weaver arrived earlier than usual hoping to be there before the forensics on the knife came back and before his partner arrived, not knowing yet Rogers was once again in any trouble. However, it wasn't long before he discovered so, when he saw the two patrol officers on their way out upon their shift ending.

One of them looked towards the older detective as he called out, "Morning, Detective. I don't suppose your partner will be in as early as he usually arrives? Not after being here so late last night."

Weaver looked at the man who spoke strangely as he asked, "I'm sorry? What do you mean he was here late last night?"

"I mean… he was here," the man answered. "Until about two o'clock in the morning. He was acting weird and more cold than usual. At least he was on his way out. But he at least greeted us when he came in. Was he not supposed to be here? I know he was injured yesterday…"

"He was supposed to be at home resting, under watchful eyes," the Dark One replied in frustration, then let out a sigh. "If anyone asks where I might be, tell them I'm going out to find my partner… again. I ought to let him fall to his own stubbornness, but then what kind of partner would I be if I did that?"

With that said, Weaver turned around and walked back out of the station to begin searching for Rogers. He didn't expect him to be home at his apartment, but he had no idea that Rogers was out waiting for the opportune moment to fulfill his assassin's demands by killing Eloise Gardener and then himself as well.


	14. Chapter 14

Consequences to Being a White Knight

Chapter Fourteen

Once Rogers left the station a few hours earlier, he found a way to escape his protection detail by ducking into an alley as a truck drove by, then ran around the corner before the truck passed and waited until the officer within the patrol car drove off to try to find him, knowing that the younger detective's partner will be angry if he were to learn that Rogers had ditched him and something bad happened to him while he was alone. When the cop was gone, Rogers slipped back out from the alley and ran down the street despite still feeling weakened from his earlier fight against his assailant, until he finally slowed down to walk through the neighborhood when he knew he was clear from being anywhere someone out and about might recognize him.

It was late when he arrived at John Mesure's office building where he had been given orders to leave the bag filled with the money Rogers had also stolen from the evidence locker for the criminal before he left the precinct per Black's orders. Then, once he left the bag inside for the imposter to collect, he continued on towards the apartment building where Eloise Gardener was currently living.

Because the complex was a transitional home the police used for a number of people they've kept under protection, Rogers had the keys to the building as well as an extra set to her apartment in case something ever happened and he needed to get inside should she come to be in danger, so getting inside was easy for him. However, once he had unlocked the door to do so, he discovered the young woman he was there to kill wasn't currently home despite the late hour.

So instead, Rogers pulled out his cell phone from his pants pocket, then dialed the number of the phone he had given to the woman he had rescued earlier that morning and invited her to join him at an all night diner for a cup of coffee when she answered upon seeing who was calling her. Him calling her was a surprise to the tree nymph, but she had eagerly accepted to meet him, having no idea he was doing so against his will in order to kill her.

A little over two hours later, Eloise finally arrived at the diner and found Rogers waiting inside within one of the booths for her to join him. The sun had barely begun to rise just above the horizon and little light could be seen within the skies as it did so. It was very early and yet it didn't seem to bother the woman who has been alive for thousands of years. However, the villainess could see the exhaustion on Rogers' face and in his eyes, only… she could also see something more, the effects of which she knew nothing about since the drug now within his system was of this world and not their own.

"Good morning, Detective," Gothel said kindly once she walked up to him, then took a seat across from him while she kept her eyes on his. "I have to say, I was a bit surprised by your call, especially at such an early hour. Or is it that you've always been an early riser?"

"I don't generally sleep well," Rogers honestly answered her, while he strangely began to tap his fingers against the table beside his cup of coffee the waitress had brought out and set down on the table in front of him, as well as one for the woman who just joined him, in trying to resist the orders given to him to kill Eloise the moment she appeared before him for as long as he could. "I'm sorry for the lateness of the hour myself, but I… I went by your apartment to make sure you were okay. And I found you weren't there. So, I wanted…"

She suddenly interrupted, "You needn't explain. I'm happy to see you. Even more so that you actually invited me here for a cup of coffee. I didn't think you ever would. Are you sure you're feeling alright? You look as though you're beginning to come down with something. A cold perhaps? And you look exhausted too."

The detective lowered his head as he stopped drumming his fingers on the table, then replied, "I'm fine. Perhaps I am coming down with something, but it's nothing I can't… I'll be…"

Upon realizing he couldn't lie about his own welfare on account of his final order that he was to kill himself once he completed his task in killing the woman now before him first, Rogers changed the subject as he spoke again saying, "Can I get you something to eat? Something perhaps… other than just a cup of coffee?"

"Actually… I wouldn't say no to a plate of pancakes with fresh maple syrup and strawberries," Eloise responded with a smile after she glanced down at the menu on the table beside her, then raised her eyes again to look into his once the waitress returned to take their orders and left again to put them in for the cook. "It's been a long time since I've eaten anything so wonderful. In fact… I can't even remember having pancakes before my abduction."

"How are you holding up?" the detective asked her again when he raised his cup to take a sip of his coffee, then slowly continued to drum his fingers on the table once he set it down again. "You're up early yourself. Are you still struggling to sleep?"

"I am," Gothel answered with a nod of her head, "But I suspect I'm just nervous, even though the woman who abducted me is now locked away."

She then reached out her hand to lay it down over his own to stop him from tapping his fingers once and for all as she continued gently, "I believed you when you told me I would be safe from her, Detective. I suspect this nervous feeling will go away with time. Would you mind if I asked you a question? About your partner that is?"

Rogers started to pull his hand away so he could slowly reach down to his holster for his service weapon upon feeling a threatening sense from her question, but she tightened her grip as well without really understanding she was in real danger, then he simply replied, "I suppose so."

"I spoke with him earlier today when I returned to the station upon hearing you had been hurt…" Eloise responded sternly. "I wanted to see you were okay, after all you've done for me except you weren't there. I only ask this because your partner seems to believe I'm some sort of threat to you. Do you know why that might be?"

"Honestly, I think it's because he believes I have this obsession for you and he's worried I'll make a mistake I wouldn't normally make with anyone else," the detective answered her anxiously and then stood up after he finally pulled his hand out from under hers so he could. "I mean… you are beautiful, but… I uh… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have told you that. I think I'm tired and I'm not exactly thinking all too clearly. I should probably go. So I can try to get at least a couple hours of sleep before work. But before I do…"

She stood from the table as well even though their food hadn't been brought out to them yet. However, before she could urge him to stay, Rogers couldn't resist any longer, as he quickly pulled his gun from its holster and suddenly fired a single shot straight at Eloise's heart. When she fell to the ground upon being shot, and the waitress screamed while the few other patrons in the diner at that hour stared down at the victim in shock, the detective swiftly ran out and disappeared down the street.

The cook immediately called out for the waitress to call for an ambulance and for the police, but when he came running around the bar to help the woman he believed had been injured after being shot, Gothel startled him when she swiftly opened her eyes, then weakly sat up as she appeared to be winded, but no more than such. Unknowing to those who were there to witness Rogers shooting her, the witch had managed to conjure just enough magic to stop the bullet from striking her heart. All they suspected was that she must have been wearing a necklace or something else close enough to her chest strong enough to stop the bullet.

The cook helped her to stand again when he saw that was what she was attempting to do and then he asked, "My God… are you alright? I can't believe how lucky you are that that bullet didn't kill you."

Eloise looked back at him coldly as she replied, "Luck had nothing to do with it. Go ahead and call the cops if you must. You'll just have to tell them there's been no crime committed here if you do. I don't intend to press charges. I'm fine."

"But that man just tried to kill you," the waitress responded in confusion as the nymph turned her head to look at her as well.

"I said… I'm not pressing charges," Gothel retorted darkly, then finally left the diner without another word to anyone so she could seek out from someone what was wrong with Rogers, though she suspected it had something to do with him nearly being killed the day before by Victoria's assassin.


	15. Chapter 15

Consequences to Being a White Knight

Chapter Fifteen

Upon receiving word of the shooting and that the description of shooter matched Rogers from an officer within the precinct, Weaver drove to the diner straight away hoping that there would be another suspect matching the same description instead, though he knew there was very little chance of such being the case. Especially since Rogers appeared to be missing once again despite him having placed a protection detail on him earlier. Meanwhile, Gothel walked into the precinct looking to speak with Victoria knowing that the senior detective wouldn't be there on account of him being out looking for his partner, or investigating what had occurred within the diner.

She entered the bullpen and walked over to speak with another of the precinct's desk sergeants who just came on duty minutes beforehand, then stated, "Forgive me for coming in so early. But I need to speak with one of your prisoners here and it's urgent. Victoria Belfrey."

The man sitting behind the desk in the office looked at her with confusion while he replied, "I'm sorry, but… the detective who's pretty much in charge around here said no one's to visit her."

"That may be, but this woman kidnapped me and kept me prisoner for years," Eloise curtly responded as she glared at the man in front of her. "I haven't had a decent night's sleep since, but I can't take it any longer. I'm scared all the time. I deserve a chance to confront my kidnapper so I can put my pain behind me. Or, are you really going to deny me this?"

"All right… all right," the officer answered in frustration, then walked out into the main room to stand beside the woman he believed to be a victim of the criminal she was asking to speak with. "Come with me. I'm only going to give you a few minutes with her, so you better say what you have to say quickly. Hopefully, Weaver won't get back while you're still here, or we might both be in trouble."

Once he turned his back to her and motioned for her to follow him, she grinned, then did like he asked. Together, they walked into the cell block where Victoria Belfrey was being held and came around to stand in front of the woman, while the cell bars remained between them. The officer quickly reminded Eloise she only had a few minutes, then stepped away to wait for her down at the end of the hall so she could have this moment with the prisoner to herself.

Victoria stood up upon seeing the true villainess appear in front of her and faced her as she spoke coldly saying, "You… I should have known you would make your way here to come visit me sooner or later. Though I had hoped the words between us two nights ago would have been enough. Just what the hell do you want? It appears you have everything now. And that's exactly what you and my daughter planned all along. Isn't it?"

Mother Gothel smiled at her and then replied, "It is. At least everything has worked out like I planned so far. But I have to admit that I did underestimate you… as you underestimated me. You've done something to Detective Rogers. And I don't just mean the assassination attempt. You've drugged him somehow. Or your assassin has. Rogers nearly killed me just an hour ago. Had I not been able to wield the tiniest ounce of magic I still possess here in this dreary town, I would be dead just like you wanted. What has this killer working for you done to him?"

"You know… I think there's more to this little obsession Detective Rogers has for you than meets the eye," the younger woman truly known as both Lady Tremaine and Rapunzel responded haughtily upon realizing something she should have seen sooner. "You made him feel this way for you… because you have feelings for him too. At least, some kind of feelings. Not love of course. I don't believe you have that in you. But lust. And why not? Rogers is quite handsome. You also like having complete power over him. He's your lapdog after all. Isn't he?"

"My reasons for doing all I do are my own," the witch answered darkly. "Tell me what you've done to him and who your own lapdog is."

Victoria laughed, then she replied, "I may have underestimated you, but so long as my own bit of magic remains enacted over Rogers, he will continue to try to do to you as I should have done the moment we arrived here in this blasted world."

Two days ago…

 _Still while under the false impression that the curse had been of her good work, Lady Tremaine entered her tower where she had been holding Gothel, stepped off the elevator, then as she held up one of her daughter's shoes she found by Ivy's desk and made her way over to her prisoner, she called out, "_ _Why is women's footwear the constant bane of my existence?"_

 _"Don't blame the shoe," the much older woman cruelly responded to her. "Blame your blind incompetence."_

 _"You acted as though you were helping me, all this time," Victoria answered in frustration after she threw the shoe down on the floor and then let out a heavy sigh while she glared coldly at the nymph. "When did you wake her up?"_

 _Gothel kept her eyes on her as she replied, "Drizella has always been awake. Which is more than I can say for you. Your obsession with Anastasia has blinded you."_

 _And then, the younger woman responded angrily, "What did that needy little thing ask of you? What does she want now?"_

 _"Your suffering," the dark witch haughtily answered._

 _"With that green thumb of yours, you must know the thing about ivy… in order for it to grow, it has to cling to something else," Madame Belfrey said coolly while she leaned in closer to her captive and enemy. "I've long known she would seek aid and approval. And now? I'm going to take away every little pillar that she clings to."_

 _Victoria suddenly yanked down on one of Gothel's long braids in anger and then she added, "Beginning… with you. You will never feel the warm light of day again."_

Present moment…

She then glared at Gothel again darkly and continued, "I made a terrible mistake by not making sure you were dead when I had the chance. But perhaps Rogers will succeed where I failed. If not him… then at the very least you will soon have to live knowing that his death is on your head. You may not care in the long run, but I suspect for now it will make you feel the tiniest dash of regret. This isn't over between us. You've hardly defeated me. This is merely a snag in my plans."


	16. Chapter 16

Consequences to Being a White Knight

Chapter Sixteen

When Hook slowly awakened in an unknown time later, he struggled to sit up from the bed on which he found himself lying on once he swiftly began to feel the painful and sickening after effects from having had too much to drink however long ago it had been since he'd been taken prisoner by Prince Eric and his soldiers. When he managed to push the effects down enough, he raised his head and looked around him as he discovered he was being held within the Prince's quarters aboard the royal's ship, then finally remembered being led out of his hideaway by the soldiers.

On the table within the center of the room, he found a tray of food, an empty glass, and a pitcher of fresh water waiting there for him for when he awoke. Hook stared down at them coldly, then suddenly shattered the glass pitcher when he thrust his hook against it and forced most of the broken shards and tray of food to the floor in anger. He then rushed towards the door to his confines seeking to escape, only to find that it was locked just as he expected it would be upon remembering he had been arrested despite Eric promising him he was no prisoner before they left his grotto.

Hook released a loud groan in frustration and was about to thrust his hook through the wood of the door in an attempt to begin to break it down despite whatever, or whoever might be waiting for him outside of it. However, before he could, he then heard the Prince call out to him from the other side asking him to stand back. For whatever reason, the pirate captain just complied as he moved back to stand beside the bed.

"Why am I not confined within your ship's brig if I'm to be your prisoner?" Hook angrily shouted while he glared at the men now standing before him once Eric and Sebastian walked inside the room so they could talk, then glanced down at their offerings to the pirate broken and tossed away on the floor. "I told you… I can't help you. I'm no hero. Only a villainous pirate."

"You're wrong," Eric responded quietly. "At least… like I told you before, I believe there's more to you than just that. Maybe you were just a villainous pirate before you found your love, but it's clear she changed you for the better. And now because you've lost her, you've lost that good in you too. But I believe it's still there inside of you, waiting for someone to give you a chance to be that man again. That's why you're in here, instead of inside this ship's brig. I only locked the door until we knew you were sober, which… it appears that you are. Sooner than I expected actually. On account of the amount of rum you consumed before from the number of empty bottles we saw laying out in your hideaway."

Killian's features on his face didn't soften, though he spoke calmly saying, "I've never stayed drunk for long. Two hundred years remaining trapped in Neverland helped me build up quite the tolerance to rum or any libations for that matter. It's rather unfortunate really."

Sebastian scoffed, then replied, "I can understand why that would bother someone like you."

"Careful, mate," Hook answered brusquely while he glared at the man standing beside Eric, lifting his left arm to raise his hook in front of him. "You may have confiscated my cutlass when you brought me here thinking you were protecting yourselves, but you foolishly left me with my hook. And I can slit your throat before your friend here can kill me with a single bullet from his pistol."

"You're free to go!" Eric immediately called out to Hook assuredly to help him see he was no prisoner, in hope of quelling the pirate's anger. "You are. It's like I told you… I just wanted to talk to you when you were sober. Please… please join us for supper. Hot stew, fresh bread, and even a glass of rum if you would prefer it over a glass of water. Tell us how we can help you to save this woman you love and we'll do whatever we can for you. I give you my word. And not my word as a Prince, but as a man seeking to find and save his own true love. But if you wish, you are free to go. You owe me nothing."

Once the Prince finished, as Hook continued to stare at him in search of any deception while Eric spoke, his eyes finally softened and he lowered his arm and hook to his side, then responded, "You can't help me. No one can. She's lost to me forever. Believe me, I've been to every realm I've ever known of seeking help from someone, or something magical to help me free her. I almost succeeded… until I was a fool and lost my only chance. Nothing can help me now. However, I will help you save your love if I can."

Sebastian looked at the pirate captain with confusion as he curiously replied, "Just like that? You're really going to help us rescue Ariel with no expectation of a reward? Other… than of course the treasure we've left behind in your cave."

Killian glanced over at him, then turned to face Eric again while he answered, "Aye. Just like that. I can see that you mean well. And while I am nothing more than a pirate, my daughter did change me from the man I used to be. Besides, I know Black Beard and he's wanted me dead for some time. Perhaps it's time I finally make him pay for trying to kill me. To show him I haven't grown as soft as he and everyone whoever knew me or my reputation believes."

"Thank you, Hook," Prince Eric stated sincerely. "Truly. Stay… and join us. We're happy to share our food with you. If we were in my kingdom, it would be more. Unfortunately, I don't really have much here to offer you."

"What you have is just fine," the Captain responded quietly, then took a seat in the chair beside the bed. "And… I'm not really hungry anyways."

The Prince looked at him sadly and then replied, "Nonsense. You should eat something."

Sebastian then questioned, "So… where do we start? I'm hoping you have some kind of plan in mind that isn't some kind of suicidal journey."

"Actually… I do indeed," Hook answered with a small smile, then pulled what appeared to be a mere piece of wood circular in shape from his inside jacket pocket and held it up for them to see. "This trinket… comes from my ship, which I gave over to my first mate and most loyal friend when I gave up being Captain of the Jolly Roger. To ensure my ship would be safe from the hands of other pirates like Black Beard. He's wanted my ship for a long time. I'd rather see her shipwrecked at the bottom of the ocean than in the hands of him. But… I can use this to summon Mr. Smee. The Jolly Roger was forged from enchanted wood and is the fastest vessel within all the realms. If we're going to succeed in our endeavor to rescue your love, Your Highness… then I'm going to need help from someone I can trust implicitly. And a crew other than just your soldiers. We need pirates to defeat other pirates."

"All right… let's get started," Eric responded eagerly. "Tell us what you have in mind."

Two nights later…

Inside the Fish & Bird once more, a beggar wearing a large hooded cloak to shroud himself entered the tavern amongst the pirates residing within and asked for a drink. Most of the drunken men didn't care to deal with the likes of him, except for Black Beard, who had been working to grow drunk as well while playing another round of cards with his men like they did most nights so long as they were stuck on land. The dreaded Captain watched the hooded figure take a drink once he took a seat at the only empty table within the room, then finally stood up again so he could heckle the beggar in order to find out his business for coming to be inside his tavern.

Black Beard walked over to stand above him while he called out, "You… old man… I'm guessing you haven't heard only pirates are welcome inside this particular tavern. It belongs to me and therefore… I have the right to say who is welcome to join my men and I for a drink."

The beggar beneath the cloak smiled and then said smugly, "Well… then I suppose it's a good thing I'm a pirate and not just some lowly old beggar like you believe."

"Well… well… well… If it isn't Captain Hook," the younger pirate captain replied coolly, when the hooded figure stood and pulled off the cloak keeping his face hidden to reveal his true self, as he pulled his cutlass from its scabbard before he sat back down upon the top of the table. "You have quite the courage to walk in here all on your own thinking you are strong enough to kill me."

"Who said that's why I've come here now, after all the time that's passed since you've last tried to kill me?" Hook answered haughtily. "And who said I came here alone?"

All of a sudden, a number of other pirates throughout the room pulled their own blades and turned them on those loyal to Black Beard whom they surrounded, then he continued, "You should learn to get to know your crewmen, Black Beard. If you did, you would have recognized a number of the pirates now within this room aren't actually among those loyal to you. My old crew have been filtering in one by one and replacing a number of your own all day. Yours are now prisoners aboard my ship. Mr. Smee?!"

When Smee then stormed inside to join his Captain with his sword raised, Black Beard still seemed unfazed by his loss of control and laughed before he finally responded, "Very clever, Hook. I do suppose you're right. I should have been a bit wiser. What exactly are you after now? My head?"

"Actually… I've come to end this feud between you and I, as well as for the woman whom I believe you're holding prisoner right here within the basement," Hook replied sternly and then took another sip of rum from the stein he'd been handed when he first asked for the drink before turning back to face the true villain again. "Is this true?"

"So that's what this really is?" the other pirate sneered, then chortled. "The rescue mission of some fishtailed wench? Let me guess… her beloved Prince hired you to come here to confront me?"

The Captain of the Jolly Roger looked to Smee and nodded, as the man wearing the red knit hat turned and started searching the tavern upon understanding what his nod meant, then Hook turned back to Black Beard while he answered, "My business is my own. And the truth is… I've grown tired of having to keep one eye open for whatever ridiculous plan you've conceived next to try to destroy me. So tell me… what will it take to get you to stop seeking vengeance against me? Shall I kill you? Because I assure you… I have no qualms in doing so."

Black Beard glared at him as he retorted, "Uh… I beg to differ. I know just how soft you've grown, Hook. You may have outwitted me at this current moment, but don't think I haven't known what you've been up to for some time now. I know about Prince Eric coming to you to help him save his wife. My most loyal of men… whom I do happen to know more than the rest, have been following him since the second time he attempted to get her back with the second ransom I've demanded from him for her return. I knew His Majesty would become desperate enough to turn to someone as vile as I am to get her back for him. At least… someone who used to be as vile as I am. All I had to do was to ensure that it was you who the Prince turned to. I had those same men enter the tavern the Prince and his friend frequented and utter whisperings of my enemy… the pirate who has bested me time after time hoping he would do like I wanted him to. To draw you out from your hideaway."

"Well… congratulations," Hook responded smugly. "You've succeeded. I'm here. And I'm stone cold sober. Is all you're going to do just talk? Or would you actually like to fight."

"You mean in a duel like the one that lost you your daughter?" his enemy replied cruelly in hope of getting the villain turned hero angry. "I know a lot about you and why you've grown so much weaker than you would like me and all the rest of your enemies to believe. Shall we have a pistol duel at dawn like you did with Ahab? Tell me, Hook… do you suppose she would be ashamed by the fool her father has grown to become?"

The good man despite being a pirate glared at him, then called out again, "Mr. Smee?"

His first mate ran up from the stairs leading down into the basement, then uttered, "She isn't here, Sir. The Prince's wife… she's not anywhere in here."

"Where is the mermaid, Black Beard?" Hook curtly asked the other man upon growing angrier and frustrated by his taunts. "What have you done with her? Is she alive?"

"Oh… she's alive, I assure you," the younger man answered smugly. "But she's being guarded by a formidable ally. Not exactly of his own free will, but he's working for me because he has no choice. You see… I possess something this giant fears I will destroy if he were to refuse. The last magic bean still alive in this land. So by all means… if you want to try to risk your life trying to free her…"

Killian looked at him sternly as he then asked, "You're not wanting to fight me in some duel then?"

Black Beard laughed again and responded, "Actually, I do. But not one with pistols. I prefer fighting a duel to the death using swords. That is… if you're brave enough?"

"I'm not weak," Hook replied darkly. "If a fight is what you want, then a fight is what you'll get."

"I'm more than ready," his enemy answered again, while both men pulled their swords as their fight began.


	17. Chapter 17

Consequences to Being a White Knight

Chapter Seventeen

Present day…

Rogers rushed through the streets once again after he shot the woman he believed he had succeeded in killing for his assassin and Victoria Belfrey. Meanwhile, Weaver arrived at the diner and walked up to one of the officers now surrounding the crime scene where there was no victim, nor any evidence of a crime having been committed aside from simply the witnesses who were there to watch as his partner attempted to kill a seemingly innocent woman. Each of them were easily able to say what they had seen, but none of them knew where Rogers had gone.

So, when the senior detective finished speaking with them himself despite the other cops having already done so too, he made a quick call to one of the officers at the precinct in order to ask her for help in tracking Rogers' cell phone, in the hope that his partner kept his on. And thankfully, he had.

Weaver started to walk back towards his car so he could follow after Rogers, until Tilly appeared by the passenger's side and walked around the backend to face him, then she asked quietly, "Is it true?"

He looked at her curiously as he questioned, "Is what true?"

"Did Detective Rogers really try to kill Eloise?" the young woman continued with concern when she looked into the man's eyes. "If so… there has to be a logical reason why he would do so. Against his will that is. He would never try to harm anyone if he were in his right mind. You know that. Don't you? Something must have happened to him. Or has been done to him?"

"You're right," Weaver answered in frustration. "Rogers is definitely in trouble and we have to find him quickly. Before… well, before he tries again, or even does something worse. I have the coordinates of his phone, which is where I'm headed right now. Come with me if you wish. I could use your help."

 _Once Tilly complied and got into the detective's car so they could drive in the direction where they hoped they would find his partner, Weaver thought back to his first meeting with the girl who travelled to worlds like the New Wonderland, as he stepped out from the portal which brought him to the New Enchanted Forest, then suddenly ran into her while she was chasing after a white rabbit when she brusquely cried out, "Oh, wonderful! I lost him because of you and there's no time to chase him down again._ _Who the hell do you think you are?"_

 _Gold looked at her with curiosity while he crossly responded, "Who I am doesn't matter."_

 _"_ _The strangers here for the Ball just keep getting stranger and stranger," she then said after someone neither of them realized then was Henry, suddenly rode past them on his motorcycle._ _"_ _Are you here for the Ball? The Prince is looking for a bride if the shoe fits._ _Are you looking for a Prince?"_

 _"_ _No, dearie," Rumple replied in frustration. "I'm looking for someone much more important."_

 _Sounding impressed, she spoke again saying, "Ooh… I like a good puzzle. My name is Alice._ _"_

Upon sensing this girl could be of some help to him, he looked at her as he studied her and then answered, "And I'm… Rumplestiltskin. Though some people also call me Mr. Gold, or even Dark One."

"You're the Dark One?" she questioned nervously, as she took a few steps back out of fear, yet she continued to look at him with curiosity as well.

"You've heard of me here?" Gold asked her in surprise. "Wherever here is. Though, I'd wager every realm has heard of the bloody Dark One."

Alice looked at him now crossly as she responded, "I've heard of you because of my father. He told me all about you. However, he said you were imprisoned inside a cage enchanted to keep you trapped so you could never harm anyone ever again. How are you here? What do you want?"

He looked at her with confusion and curiosity as well while he replied, "I haven't been a prisoner of that cage in a very long time and I'm here to seek out someone who can help me with a daunting task. Who exactly is your father? And why does he know so much about me?"

"His name's Killian Jones," she answered him crossly. "But you probably know him better as Captain Hook."

"That's not possible," Rumple retorted crossly. "If that were true, then you wouldn't be here. You would still be living in Storybrooke."

She looked at the Dark One in confusion while she questioned, "I've never heard of this… Storybrooke as you call it. I don't understand."

Gold ignored her as he continued, "And your mother… Is she Emma Swan? The Savior?"

"My mother is no Savior," Alice angrily responded and her eyes darkened when she did so. "She's an evil witch who cursed my father, then stole him away from me. I've been looking for him ever since I was finally freed from the tower in which I was trapped in from the moment I was born, until recently. I have to find him. To tell him how much I love him and that I'm not upset with him, or feel he let me down. He's a good man now, and not the man you must hate anymore either. Just in case you were wondering. He's a hero, and he gave up his revenge towards the other you so he could be with me for as long as he could."

"Your father… he must be… from the Wish Realm then," he replied while he struggled to piece together all she's told him. "Because the Captain Hook I know… his story is nothing like the one you're telling me. And I know of this Wish Realm thanks to a few friends who travelled there some time ago. But apparently our paths have crossed in the past… except it was another version of me as well."

The young woman shook her head as she answered, "I don't understand. What are you saying?"

Gold looked over at the girl again and then with sincerity, he responded, "I can promise you, Alice… I am not the Dark One your father's told stories about. I am the Dark One, but one from another realm, while the other and your father are both from this Wish Realm created by a very powerful wish. However, the difference most likely between him and me… is that I've changed and become a better man thanks to the woman I loved. I assure you, I'm no threat to you. And if you will help me to learn about this new world that I have found myself in… your world, and find this person I seek, then I will help you to find your father. What do you say?"

"I suppose we can give it a try," she replied with worry. "Though… I'm not so sure my father would approve of me working with you no matter what realm you're from, even if you are a different version of Rumplestiltskin. However, I'm willing. If anyone can help me find my father, it would be you. Where do we begin?"

In Hyperion Heights…

"This is where Rogers must be," Weaver finally said again to Tilly once the coordinates led them back to the building where his partner had nearly been killed the day before. "He clearly commandeered someone's car in order to make his way out here, seeing as this place is a bit further than from his apartment to the police station. Just what the hell is his new obsession with coming back here?"


	18. Chapter 18

Consequences to Being a White Knight

Chapter Eighteen

"Weaver… he's definitely here," Tilly fearfully whispered, when she then looked up towards the building's scorched roof upon pieces of debris from above falling in front of her once she and Weaver drew closer, as Rogers stepped up to the ledge and stared down at the ground as though he could see nothing else, including his friends. "Please tell me he isn't thinking on jumping."

"Not of his own free will I gather," the senior detective replied as he too looked up and saw his partner standing out on the ledge above them as well, then quickly rushed inside so he could make his way up to the roof followed closely by the young woman with him, in hope of being in time to keep Rogers from killing himself.

Once they both arrived at the top of the stairwell leading up there and ran outside onto the roof, Gold stopped upon seeing his partner standing in front of him with his back to him, then before either of them took another step towards him, Weaver spoke to Tilly again saying, "Like you said, Tilly… I believe he's under the influence of something… a drug of some kind that can make a person fall under the influence of someone else. And in this case, I believe it's whoever Victoria hired to see that Rogers was killed."

She looked between her friends worryingly as she asked, "What kind of drug is powerful enough to do that?"

"Offhand… I have no idea," the older man answered quietly, then focused his full attention on his partner. "Rogers… I know you don't want to do whatever it is you've been asked to do. You're under someone's control. Somehow. We can worry about that later, but right now…"

"I have no choice," Rogers responded before Weaver could finish. "He said I have to end my own miserable existence once I killed Eloise. I don't… I don't want to, but I can't… I can't seem to stop. I've resist… resisted for as long… as long as I can. I have my orders."

When Rogers took another step right up to the roof's edge, the Dark One immediately called out, "No wait! You're stronger than you've ever believed yourself to be, Rogers. Which is how you've resisted against this drug the best you can. You can't give in now. You're my closest friend… though I've not treated you as such as of late. And for that… I am sorry."

The younger detective glanced back at him momentarily, then to Tilly as well, and with a shake of his head, he uttered sadly, "No… I'm sorry."

It was then Rogers suddenly stepped forward so he would fall to his death. But before he could, Weaver and Tilly both swiftly ran at him while she cried out for him in fear and they roughly forced him off his feet as they all fell backwards against the ground, causing Rogers to strike his head hard against the roof and to lose consciousness.

"Rogers…" Tilly whispered out of worry as she looked down on him, and tenderly tapped his cheek in hope of waking him. "Rogers! Please… Weaver… what have we done?"

"We saved his life," the Dark One replied in concern for his partner as well while he gently turned Rogers' head to the side in order to look it over for signs of a wound from it hitting the roof and found a small gash, but not one bad enough to threaten his life. "He's going to be alright. We just have to hope that when he awakens, the drug hopefully will wear off by then. It surely can't last forever. It's not like it's magic, though it appears to be much like it."

Before Tilly could say anything more, Rogers awakened as he weakly turned his head back towards the sounds of their voices and struggled to open his eyes, then he looked between those now leaning over him while he softly asked, "Why…? My head… I feel strange. What's happening? And why are you in my apart… my apartment? This isn't…"

Once they helped him to sit up, the young woman beside him remorsefully answered for him, "We're not at your apartment, Detective."

"As it would appear you haven't been all night," Weaver continued. "You really don't remember anything since I dropped you off last night to get some rest, do you?"

"I thanked you again for saving me… and then I… I offered you an ultimatum," the younger man responded, struggling to think back to the last thing he remembered. "I told you… I needed to be able to trust you, or that you would need to find yourself… a new partner."

The senior detective nodded and helped his partner to stand back on his feet with Tilly's help, then he replied, "I thought as much. I'm afraid that conversation took place hours ago. As you can see, it's now morning. Since last night… you have been through quite an ordeal, which it's quite clear you can't remember on account of whatever you were drugged with."

Rogers looked at him again with confusion and shook his head as he questioned, "I was drugged? With what? Weaver… what the bloody hell is going on? If what you're saying is really true, then what have I been doing?"

"It doesn't matter what you tried to do anymore," Tilly answered for him before he could tell Rogers the truth she knew would hurt him. "It didn't work. And you're okay too."

"You're keeping something from me," the injured man responded sternly upon seeing the nervous look on the girl's face, as well as the concern in his partner's eyes. "What aren't you telling me? Did I hurt someone? Tell me, Weaver. You want me to trust you… this is as good of a place as any to start. The truth. Please."

Weaver finally complied, "You're right. I do owe you the truth. You were drugged somehow, though we have yet to establish with what. I'm assuming it was the very man who nearly killed you yesterday afternoon. He must have been waiting already inside of your apartment when I dropped you off. I should have thought to make sure it was clear. I thought a watchman outside of your place would have been enough. As for what you did while under the influence of this drug… You returned to the precinct. I wasn't sure why at first, but then I received a call telling me there was money missing from one of the evidence lockers, and that the dagger we found in Mesure's office was missing. I can only assume your assassin got you to steal the money and his blade back for him. But I'm afraid… that isn't all. You were also asked to kill… to kill Eloise. However, you failed, Rogers. You fired your weapon, but you appeared to have missed. She simply walked away without a scratch. I assure you… she's okay."

Rogers lowered his head in shame upon hearing the truth, then whispered again, "Maybe so, but it doesn't change what I've done. I appreciate your honesty, Weaver. I do. But now we need to focus on figuring out who this man really is and stop him. Before he can hurt anyone else again."


	19. Chapter 19

Consequences to Being a White Knight

Chapter Nineteen

The detectives and Tilly made their way back down through the building again so they could leave, then once they were driving, as Rogers sat in the passenger's seat while Weaver drove, Tilly sat up from the backseat and asked, "So where are we headed now? Back to the police station?"

The senior detective glanced over at his partner upon sensing Rogers looking over at him as well as Tilly, then he responded, "Actually, we're heading to Rogers' apartment again, where you… Rogers… are going to really get some sleep this time. I'm going to make sure that no one's inside and Tilly here… is going to look after you. To make sure you do sleep. She's stronger than she might appear and you'll be more comfortable with her than with me or anyone else. Besides, I still have to work on trying to find this assassin."

"I can't let you do that on your own," Rogers answered in objection. "I can sleep later once all of this over. We're partners and that bastard is trying to kill me. Let's use that. We can draw him out."

"You mean… use you as bait?" Weaver asked sternly. "Absolutely not. As much as it might help, it's like I just said. You need to sleep. You're exhausted."

Rogers quickly replied, "You're right… I am exhausted. And I want to sleep, but I can't put Tilly in harm's way, any more than I want to see anyone else get harmed because of me. You neither. Please, Weaver… allow me to help in whatever way I can. I can draw this man out. Use me for as long as you can, and I promise… I will finally take care of myself without any more arguing. I know how we can do this."

Weaver looked over at him again and then responded, "Very well. I'll admit your plan is the best chance at putting an end to all of this and apprehending your assassin. But first… we are going to get you checked out by a doctor again just to make sure your old injuries haven't worsened, or that the new injury on the back of your head isn't too serious. No arguments. It turns out I just might have an idea what it was you were drugged with after all."

A few hours later…

John Mesure, or the man posing as the former private investigator, was sitting within a bar other than Roni's having himself a few drinks after he had learned for the second time that he had failed to kill his target. The bar was as good of a place as any to plan his next move against Rogers, whether Victoria Belfrey agreed to pay him for his services any longer or not. The detective was after all his enemy before he was hired to kill him. However, when a news report came on over the television behind the bar that suddenly peaked his interest, then made his eyes grow cold, Black stood, downed one final shot of rum, laid a few bills down on the bar, and walked out without another word to the bartender.

The hitman found Rogers in the park talking with Tilly as they were watching the sun drop below the horizon beyond the ocean, then waited within the shadows until his target was once again alone, when the detective remained behind on the park bench after the young woman turned and walked away from him.

Despite suspecting Weaver was nearby watching his partner as well, Blake Black stepped out from where he hid and started walking towards Rogers until someone swiftly bumped into him as the girl quickly apologized and kept going, then he joined the younger detective beside him on the bench.

"So… I saw the story you or your partner leaked to the press an hour ago," Black said to Rogers sternly, as neither of them looked at one another. "Very ballsy, I must say. Announcing your survival, that the doctors figured out to look for traces of scopolamine in your blood which they found, and that you've learned the truth about John Mesure was really dead despite you no longer having any proof… thanks to you of course. But what I particularly enjoyed the most, was you coming on to challenge me to find you. Very brave, but very foolish. I should have just ordered you to end your life the moment I blew the devil's breath in your face. My job would have been finished. Where is your partner? I can only imagine he must be around here somewhere… after all you've been through."

"You don't believe I might have snuck out and dodged past any other cops Weaver may have asked to keep an eye on my place again?" Rogers questioned his assailant. "Because I did so earlier this morning… or so my partner told me. I can't seem to recall what I've done most of the day and since late last night."

He then turned to finally look over at the man beside him as he continued, "I also had difficulty remembering your face earlier when I first realized it must have been you who was trying to kill me, Mesure. Or… whoever you really are, since you're not really the private investigator I believed I was once coming to for help on a case. I'm not sure why. It occurred long before you ever drugged me. However, I do remember your face clearly now. You disappeared before I could prove that you were an imposter and that you killed the real John Mesure. Then my focus fell on finding Eloise Gardener. I can't remember trying to kill her, but Weaver told me the truth that I had. So now… my focus is on making sure you can't hurt anyone ever again."

Black stood up again and then asked, "And how exactly do you plan on doing that?"

"By placing you under arrest for trying to have me killed, and Eloise…" Rogers answered him crossly when he too stood as well. "Not to mention for the murder of John Mesure, the impersonation of a private investigator, forgery, on top of numerous other crimes I'm sure we have yet to learn about yet. I'm guessing you didn't come here without believing you had a way of escape once you've killed me in case I brought back up? In case I brought my partner with me like you assume I have?"

"I'm afraid escape is no longer in the cards for you," Weaver then stated sternly when he suddenly appeared behind Black with his gun raised and aimed directly between his eyes as Black turned around to face him.

The killer glared between both detectives as Rogers pulled his own gun and aimed it at his assailant as well, then he replied, "And what makes you think you can simply apprehend me just like that? You both may have your guns, but I didn't come unarmed."

The man who was truly a pirate in another life swiftly palmed the vial of scopolamine he had hidden up his sleeve while he kept his arms and hands down at his side so they wouldn't be able to see what he was doing and carefully poured some into the palm of his other hand, then raised as he suddenly blew the powder into both of their faces before either of them could find it within themselves to shoot the villain.

Rogers and Weaver struggled to wipe it from their eyes, as Black then knocked the weapons from both of their hands and pulled out his own from his pants behind his back. He laughed when they finally raised their heads and stared ahead of them blankly as the drug now in their system took effect.

The criminal spoke again smugly saying, "You should have been more careful when coming against me. I've managed to stay in hiding all this time because I am, and because… I don't hold onto people and things that make me weak. Unlike you, Detective Rogers. Love or lust for that Eloise woman made you a fool. And now… I'm going to finally kill you like I should have done when we first became enemies."

"Actually, you won't," Tilly all of a sudden called out to him from above, as the assassin looked up into the tree nearby and surprisingly saw the young woman who had been talking to Rogers before he joined him, while she held up another vial in one of her own hands so he could see it clearly. "I'm afraid whatever you think you just blew into my friends' faces… wasn't in fact the drug you used to try to kill Detective Rogers last night."

"That's right," Rogers then continued as himself, not while under the influence of the scopolamine also known as the devil's breath which Black had been carrying with him since he took it from Victoria Belfrey's apartment, as Weaver grabbed the gun from the assassin, tucked it into the back of his pants, and finally worked to cuff his hands behind him. "I'm afraid this time, you weren't as careful like you thought. You see… Tilly here has great skills in pickpocketing and she's also very good at seeing people even if they don't want to be seen. You shouldn't have hid yourself exactly where she happened to see you spying on me just before you tried to kill me in that building you burned."

Tilly smiled as she looked down at the drug in her hand and responded, "He's right. I also saw you pull that powder from your pocket and stick it up your sleeve before you stepped out into the open to talk with Rogers. Then, I switched your powder with some of our own. Flour actually. Don't you remember me bumping into you? It's all right that you don't. Very few people actually see me. I don't know why that is, but they look right through me like I'm not ever there."

Once the assailant's wrists were secure, Weaver walked around him to stand beside his partner and Tilly once she jumped down from the branch of the tree she had been sitting on, then added, "Rogers suspected you would try to use the scopolamine on him again, and on me should you realize that I was here. So he asked Tilly to put her skills to good use and she did so brilliantly. We simply… played along until it was time to finally place you under arrest. I realize a lot depended on things going just right in order for our plan to work, but luckily for us… things did."

"How did you know this ruse of yours would work?" Black asked coldly, as he turned his head again to look over at his enemy.

"I knew you would be arrogant enough to fall for my challenge as foolhardy as this was on your part," Rogers answered snidely, then pushed the villain in front of him so he and Weaver could bring him to their car, then to the station where he would soon become a permanent resident like the woman who had hired him. "And that you would never just leave Hyperion Heights again without your deal with Victoria Belfrey unfulfilled. Perhaps now, you'll give us the evidence we need to help make our case against her stronger. That is… if you really know what's good for you."

The hitman laughed again and then haughtily replied, "Why should I give you anything to make your life any easier. You and your partner are the detectives here, so detect… and nail her yourselves. I won't be making any deals with either of you today."

Tilly followed behind them until she ran off after Rogers bowed his head to her in gratitude for her help once they reached the senior detective's car, then Weaver looked at Black again before shoving him into the backseat and said, "That's your decision, but you may regret it later on."


	20. Chapter 20

Consequences to Being a White Knight

Chapter Twenty

Two swords clashed together while Captain Hook and Captain Black Beard fought one on one. Each of their men who remained within the tavern took several steps back in order to avoid getting struck in the battle. Some did so out of fear, though most of the pirates backed away simply to watch their Captains fight what they knew would be an even match until one of them fell with the other's blade in their chest. Both Captains were skilled fighters, especially with swords and while Hook lived centuries as a pirate and even longer during his few years within the Royal Navy, as well as growing up a slave among pirates, Black Beard too lived longer than most men knew thanks to magic and trained among some of the greatest swordsmen known throughout the realms.

Tables, steins, and practically everything else within sight were broken as the battle raged on and the pirates surrounding the fighters roared and cheered on their leaders. Within the midst of it all, Prince Eric and Sebastian suddenly ran inside the tavern in order to stand by the man they sought out to defeat the true villain so they could save Ariel.

Minute after minute passed, until Black Beard suddenly knocked Hook off his feet and onto his back against the ground, then attempted to force the edge of his sword to his enemy's throat. Eric called out to Hook with worry when he saw he was in trouble. However, Killian used his hook to keep the blade from cutting his throat any more than just the small nick it already had.

"You've grown old… old friend," Black Beard taunted the man struggling beneath him to hold the blade off from killing him. "You even have several white hairs on your head. Are you prepared to die? It's finally time this world sees the end of Captain Hook."

"As much… as I might agree with you, I didn't come here… to fight you for me," Hook strained to answer, as he glared into his assailant's eyes.

When he knew he only had one chance to save himself for Eric's and Ariel's sake despite his own lack of will to live, he swiftly released his own sword allowing it to drop on the floor beside him, then immediately grabbed the golden hilt of Black Beard's sword as he raised his legs to kick the younger pirate off of him with great effort.

Upon the villain becoming disoriented, Hook finally thrust the pirate's own sword up right through his left shoulder, then rolled out from under him before he raised the weapon again to Black Beard's throat instead once the pirate collapsed to his knees and this time, it was his turn to glare up at his enemy.

Black Beard ignored the throbbing pain in his shoulder from the now bleeding wound that he struggled to stifle with his hand and the sword's blade against his neck as he spoke coldly saying, "Go on. Do it! Kill me like you've always wanted to. Or are you going to prove to everyone else here what I've always known you to be? A one handed coward."

The pirate who lived in Neverland for over two centuries kept his eyes firmly on the other man while he struggled with making the right decision, then finally he replied, "I'm a lot of things… most of them pretty despicable. But I'm no coward. I should kill you. It would make my life easier. However, it's like I told you… killing you isn't why I'm here. Where is Ariel?"

"It would seem she's right in the palm of your hand," the villain responded haughtily and laughed, while Hook looked at him in confusion until he glanced down at the red jewel within the hilt, then understood exactly what it was Black Beard meant.

"She's trapped within your sword's jewel," Hook uttered more to himself than anyone else in disbelief, as Eric and Sebastian both rushed over to grab the blade from his hand to look into the stone and finally found the little mermaid they've been searching for trapped inside just as her captor said, along with the giant Black Beard claimed was looking after her. "That's not possible. You don't have magic."

Hook grabbed his enemy by the collars of his coat and shoved him up against the tavern wall behind him, then curtly asked, "How did you do this? Who's helping you?!"

Black Beard chortled and then answered, "Earlier this afternoon, a witch came to me and offered me a deal I couldn't refuse. The details of which are of no importance. What does… is that she has an intriguing interest in you."

"A witch?" the older pirate questioned, then it dawned on him exactly who the man in front of him meant. "No… no it's not possible. She shouldn't be here in this realm."

"Sorry, but I'm afraid that I am, Captain," Gothel coolly replied when she suddenly appeared within a cloud of black smoke before everyone within the room, then before another could be spoken, she swiftly healed the injured pirate's wound, poofed Smee and the rest of the pirates other than Hook and Black Beard away so they could be alone, while she left be Eric and Sebastian, who remained standing among them with Black Beard's sword still within the Prince's hand. "Don't think I haven't been keeping my ears open for word on all the realms you've disappeared to after we last saw each other that dark night nearly three years ago. All in search of another way to free our daughter from her prison. Until you finally gave up that you ever would and found yourself a tiny hovel in which you could drink away your guilt. I've left you alone this long, but I've grown… restless and I need something from you, Captain. And I knew you needed a little motive to force you to return to being sober. I suggested you go to the tavern that night for a drink to help you with your sorrows, but I had no idea one would lead to so many."

Eric looked between the witch and the Captain as he finally questioned, "Hook… who is this witch? Is she the one who put Ariel inside this sword? You have to get her to get her out!"

Killian looked back at the Prince and the Prince's friend, then turned again to Gothel while he dejectedly asked, "What is it you want from me now? Have you not taken enough from me, or is it my life you're here to snuff out now? Because believe me… I have no qualms in you doing so. My daughter's lost to me. I've nothing left to live for. So go ahead."

"I'm afraid I'm not here to end your life tonight, Hook," Gothel responded as she smiled at him, as she then raised her hand to his face and tenderly began to caress Killian's cheek until he swiftly turned his head away from her. "I'm willing to give you something… in exchange for another night of passion. You and me, like we were the night I conceived and birthed your precious girl. Of your own free will. I assure you… this time there won't be any magic flower involved. It's been a long time since my needs have been met. Seeing as people fear me for what I am, you can imagine they're not too keen on making love. Not with me. And it's no fun when men aren't willing participants."

"That's all you want?" Black Beard scoffed. "You want him… like that?"

The nymph turned again as she glared at the other pirate, then was about to kill him with her magic, until Hook swiftly stopped her upon recognizing what she was about to do and called out, "Don't! Look… I'll do it. But not so you'll spare Black Beard. I couldn't care less about him. I don't need another death on my conscience no matter who it is. Set Ariel and the giant free from the stone, give the giant back the magic bean Black Beard stole from him, then let them all go free. And I will give you what you want… of my own… my own free will."

Eric looked over at the man who continued to surprise him sadly, then worryingly he whispered, "Hook… no. There has to be something else…"

"There is nothing else!" Gothel retorted darkly before the Prince could keep trying to talk Hook out of what she wanted from him, then finally freed the mermaid and the giant from the jewel within the hilt of Black Beard's sword… transporting the giant back to his castle above a beanstalk with his magic bean so that he wouldn't cause anymore chaos.

"Eric?!" Ariel exclaimed happily upon being released and seeing the man she loved, then swiftly ran into his arms. "Eric! You saved me. You're here. But how?"

The witch among them interrupted their moment as she stated, "Enough of that. You two are free to go, so I suggest you do so before I change my mind and imprison you both inside the jewel. And you Black Beard… you owe Hook a favor for saving your life just now. One day should he come asking for one, I suggest you comply. I should kill you, but I won't. Now go. All of you."

When Eric and Ariel looked over at him, Hook simply nodded at them to do as she told them to, then whispered to them, "It's okay. Please… just go. She isn't one for mercy. Go before you can't."

"Thank you, Hook," the Prince sincerely and remorsefully answered while he looked into his friend's eyes, then finally pulled his wife along with him as they left the tavern.

"At last… you and I are alone again," Gothel said after they were gone and walked over to stand close enough to her prey so that their bodies were once again touching, then continued to caress his cheek. "Shall I take us some place where we can be more comfortable?"

Hook turned his head to look into her eyes while he replied miserably, "I may have given into you of my own free will to protect those fighting for true love, but my doing so… doesn't mean I'll be giving you what you want out of any pleasure. Answer me one question first. When will you be satisfied? You've already destroyed me in every way imaginable."

Gothel smiled before she leaned in to kiss his lips until she finally pulled back and then responded cruelly, "Not yet I haven't. Believe me… there's more in you. You may have resorted to drinking far too much to become a drunkard so you can drown your sorrows until you die, but you still have a strength in you which allowed you to fight for the good of that Prince and his Princess. One day I will destroy it all, Captain. We've only just begun."


	21. Chapter 21

Consequences to Being a White Knight

Chapter Twenty-One

The next morning, inside the Hyperion Heights Police Station…

Weaver arrived at the precinct again around his normal time, while Rogers had been given the morning off so he could sleep in and try to recuperate. He was told he could have the next few days off to do so, but the newly made detective preferred to work so that he could help make up for the things he'd done to hurt his case against Blake Black under the scopolamine's control, which no one including his partner blamed him for. A short while later, the senior detective once again entered an interrogation room where Victoria Belfrey was waiting.

Upon him doing so, Victoria looked over at him while he walked towards the table and then she spoke haughtily saying, "I appreciate you coming to see me again so soon, Weaver. I do hope that your partner is holding up still under the circumstances."

The detective finally sat across from her as Victoria struggled against the cuffs which kept her wrists bound to the table between them, then he coldly replied, "We both know that's not true. But you might want to know that the hitman you hired to try to kill my partner… has been apprehended now as well and Rogers has survived. He does that, you know. Survive. He's tougher than you might think he is."

"Oh… I know that," she responded quickly and sat back in her chair the most comfortably she could. "I've heard it all before. Honestly… I couldn't care less anymore what happens to him. As much as I might want to see him dead, his death no longer matters. It's inconsequential now. There's something much more important I'd like to speak with you about."

"I didn't come here on your request so you could try to make a deal anymore," he answered in frustration. "That ship has sailed."

 _Weaver looked at her sternly, then he continued, "_ _Time to take you back."_

 _He glanced down at her cuffs as she struggled within them once more until he finally reached out with the key for them in hand to unlock them so he could bring her back to her cell and then sat back in his chair while he added, "Not exactly Tiffany, but they are bracelets all the same."_

 _"I've missed our talks, Detective," Victoria smugly replied as she took in the relief she felt upon having her wrists freed, then continued to stare across the table at the man seated in front of her._

 _"Did you enjoy the one with your daughter?" the Dark One asked again while he played along in her little game, having learned that she had met with Ivy, or Drizella even earlier that morning, as well as having learned of her meetings with Black the day before because one of the uniformed officers had fallen for the powerful woman's corruption._

 _She leaned forward a little as she responded, "To be honest, not since she was four. I only agreed to meet with her because I knew it would afford me the chance to speak with you."_

 _Weaver playfully answered her, "Oh… well, I am flattered. But given your… current situation, you don't have very much to offer._

 _"How could I forget your skill set always comes with a price?" the villainess frustratingly replied._

 _"What are you getting at?" he questioned her, pretending to act slightly confused for her benefit in hope he was wrong upon realizing she had seen through his deception and knew that he was awake like she was._

 _Victoria thought through her words as she responded, "I need help getting to my daughter."_

 _The detective retorted, "The little brat was just here."_

 _"Not Ivy," she answered him again without holding anything back. "Anastasia."_

 _"Nobody's here," the corrupt woman continued more quietly when Weaver simply stared at her as if he had no idea who she meant, even though she knew better. "We're all alone. Why pretend you're not concerned that Gothel is out of the tower?"_

 _Weaver kept up his charade for as long as he could while he replied, "Now, you say that… like I should understand what all your nonsense means."_

 _Victoria inhaled sharply and sat back within her chair once again, then coldly she responded, "Well… why don't you let me know when I do start making sense? All the knickknacks you've been collecting, that great love you're separated from, that dagger you can't seem to get rid of."_

 _"Stand up," the Dark One suddenly retorted with a snap of his fingers upon growing angry when she brought up Belle and his dagger, then stood again himself so he could escort her back to her cell._

 _"How is the search for the Guardian going?" she asked coldly in order to finally pull out her leverage she had to get him to listen and adhere to her request, when she also stood by his command. "I have all the information you've long sought. You help me today, and I'll gladly share it with you… Rumplestiltskin."_

 _At last in the manner of his true self, as he walked around the table so he was standing right beside her and put away his cuffs again since they would no longer be needed, Gold looked at her darkly while he leaned in close to her, then whispered, "I'd say… you've got yourself a deal… Rapunzel."_

She smugly uttered, "I thought we might."

 _Victoria Belfrey looked over at him as their faces were only inches apart and they both nodded at one another upon coming to an understanding between one another which they both agreed with as no more words were spoken, nor needed, then together they walked out of the room and from the station as well._

Weaver knew that his partner would see this agreement with the villainess as another betrayal, but after searching so long for answers on how the Guardian could help him get back to his beloved, he couldn't risk losing this opportunity even though a part of him knew deep down that Lady Tremaine would eventually turn on him like he once again turned against his closest friend.

Unfortunately, it wasn't long at all before his suspicions that she would betray him came true. Upon their departure from the station, Rogers arrived for work just as Victoria was getting into the passenger's side of Weaver's car and immediately confronted her about how she was able to walk away after all she had done. To him and everyone else she had hurt.

Weaver had walked out and tried to talk his partner down despite knowing his decision to help Victoria was wrong, as he had become desperate. Their confrontation lasted no more than a minute before he left Rogers standing on the sidewalk angry and confused without telling him the truth behind why he was doing what he was doing. Once again, it was as though they never had come to any kind of understanding before during Weaver's efforts to protect Rogers from the man trying to kill him, and he once again had broken his partner's trust in him. Enough so that this time, it could possibly be unrepairable.

Then, after having another confrontation with Mother Gothel later that afternoon as Victoria's deception became evident, Weaver eventually learned that the villainess had a darker plan that involved Lucy being hurt, which would lead to making the young girl and his great granddaughter lose her belief in magic and in the truth behind the curse they were all trapped under.

In hope of helping her before it would be too late, Weaver quietly began to look for Lucy as he looked for any clues that might lead him to finding her to try to make up for his mistake while using only one other officer from the precinct who could help him do so. Much to his dismay, it was moments after he gave the other cop an order when Rogers suddenly appeared in front of him within the alley and confronted him so he could finally force the truth about what his partner was up to out of him once and for all.

 _"I really don't have time for you right now," Gold grumbled in frustration._

 _"Well, make time," the younger detective retorted curtly, as he pulled a piece of paper out from his back pocket revealing a crude drawing of the Dark One's dagger when he showed it to his partner. "Who the hell are you looking for?"_

 _Weaver grabbed the drawing from Rogers' hand and tore it up before gruffly shoving the pieces back at him while he coldly answered, "This is my business, and therefore… none of yours."_

 _Rogers glared at his partner as he replied angrily, "Says the guy questioning witnesses in my case. I've been in your locker. You have files on half of Hyperion Heights. Now, I can't tell if you're a dirty cop or the best one I know. One minute, you're speaking to me in riddles. The next… the next, you're shutting me out. Yet I can't shake the feeling that there's something that you want to tell me, so spit it out!"_

 _"I'm looking for someone," the older man finally relented after he hesitated for only for a moment while he considered whether or not he could fully trust his partner standing now before him. "Much as you were with Eloise Gardener."_

 _"What does Belfrey have to do with that?" the younger detective asked in confusion._

 _Weaver responded, "I thought she could help me. I was wrong. Look, this is… This is really hard to put into words. But I've been separated from my wife… Belle. And I would do anything to get to her. I don't know how else to put it. But this… all of this… is in service to that."_

 _Detective Rogers just stared at his partner as he answered, "That is the least believable thing you've ever said to me."_

 _"And yet… And yet I believe it," he immediately continued while he quickly reached out to grab his arm when Weaver started to walk away from him believing that Rogers still didn't trust a word he said to him, despite him finally speaking the truth the best he could, then Gold just stared at his partner with surprise at the next words out of his mouth. "Just let me help you."_

 _"Yeah, okay," Gold replied simply without having to consider it any longer, now fully trusting Rogers like he hoped he could since he first awoke as himself once again._

 _Upon them finally coming to a true understanding, his partner then asked again, "So what do we do now?"_

 _The senior detective looked at him as he stated, "Tonight… find Lucy."_

"I fear she's the one now in danger," Weaver quickly added when Rogers looked at him in confusion again. "I'll try to explain the rest, once we're in the car. We can take mine."

"Thank you… Weaver," Rogers then said from the passenger's seat once they had begun to drive, as he turned his head to look over again at the man he hoped to be friends with, unaware they already were in another life. "Not just for trusting me just now, though… I am certainly grateful for that. But for everything. For saving my life ever since I became a hitman's target no thanks to Victoria Belfrey. I am grateful even if I haven't exactly made it so clear despite trying to tell you so two nights ago. Your lack of trust in me has made things difficult between us, yet I know that I haven't made things any easier for you either. And it was wrong of me to give you an ultimatum. I just feel that trust is important in our partnership if we want to succeed in stopping the corruption going on here. Whatever it is."

The older man nodded in understanding and then responded, "I couldn't agree more. I do trust in you, Rogers. More than I've made it known. Hopefully in time, I can help you to understand why things happening in Hyperion Heights are so difficult for you and most others to grasp. It will take time… and a lot of faith. In me that is. As well as a lot of patience, because it will not be easy. Especially for you. However, I promise to help you in whatever way I can. And of course to trust in you like you hope to trust in me. So… can you?"

Rogers looked into his partner's eyes and upon seeing the sincerity behind his words, he finally smiled as he answered, "Of course. You have my trust, Weaver. And hopefully you'll find your job ought to be much easier for you now that we're on the same side."


	22. Chapter 22

Consequences to Being a White Knight

Chapter Twenty-Two

Once more within the New Enchanted Forest…

Four nights later, Gothel finally set Hook free from her lair within an exotic grove she had grown in this land far from her own with the magic of her people, where she had transported them to from the tavern within the Wish Realm, despite her word their deal would only last a single night. Hook was already a broken man when he accepted the witch's agreement… the witch he hated more so than even Rumplestiltskin after all she had done to his daughter and to him. However, upon making it so easy for her to manipulate him over the course of the last few days and ever since the night they first met in the tower that was now a prison for Alice, he despised himself more than anyone else.

Upon leaving, the Captain slowly journeyed on foot back to the tower where he had lived with his daughter for the first twelve years of her life until his heart was poisoned because of his own selfish pride and dishonor, though he didn't really know why other than simply wishing to be as near to Alice as he could be in his grief. However, the moment he arrived within the clearing where the tower stood, he immediately regretted his decision to come as his despair only grew deeper. Little did he know that he had been followed by Ariel and Eric who had been searching for him since Mother Gothel had taken him in hope to help him after all he had done for them until they found him at last thanks to a little mirror magic given to them by the mermaid's father.

The Prince and Princess watched in silence from a distance while the pirate stood back from the tower as he stared up at the window in despair until he at last moved forward and struggled to climb up its walls. Unfortunately, Hook got no higher than a few feet when he cried out in agony as the poison over his heart suddenly flared again, then fell roughly back to the ground. Ariel stood from where she was hiding so she could run to try to help him, but her husband stopped her from doing so when he knew Hook wouldn't appreciate being spied on even if they were there with the best intentions.

They then turned back to look on as the young girl now fourteen years old whom they knew to be the pirate's daughter, appeared within the window high above them and called out asking who was out there upon hearing someone she didn't know to be her father cry out, while Hook stood again weakly minutes later, then started to run away until he stumbled after taking only a few steps from the tower. But when she began to cry out for help like she had done the last night he had ever heard her voice, he could only continue to run out of shame and sorrow.

"Wait… where are you going?" Eric swiftly asked his wife and grabbed her arm to stop her when Ariel then began to walk towards the tower once Hook was gone. "You're not thinking about climbing up there, are you?"

"That girl needs our help, Eric," she responded worryingly, then looked up at the window again when Alice cried out once more before she finally gave up and stepped away to return inside. "We may not be able to free her from her prison for the reasons Hook can't, aside from however that witch might have cursed him, but at the very least… we can assure her that her father hasn't given up on her. That he thinks about her every moment of everyday and longs to be with her. We owe him that. You heard her cry out for her father and the despair in her voice."

The Prince looked up at the tower again as well, then nodded in understanding and replied, "You're right. I never would have been able to save you if it wasn't for Hook. I just had no idea Black Beard and that witch who trapped you in the sword's jewel was only using us to get to him. If I did…"

The little mermaid cut him off before the man she loved could continue to blame himself as she answered, "What that witch did to Hook… is terrible and vile. But what she's done to him and his daughter is far worse. You saw the pain and hopelessness on his face. I want to at least give them even the slightest ounce of hope that one day they will be together again. Starting with her. I think I know how to do that. Wait here for me. And don't worry. I'll be fine climbing up that tower. It's not so high."

"Actually… it is," he retorted crossly when he raised his head to look up at the tower's height.

"I said I'll be fine," Ariel replied, then smiled and laughed before she continued on with her task at hand.

The climb lasted longer than Ariel hoped it would, but finally she made it up to the top and struggled to enter inside the tower's window when she suddenly became startled as the girl trapped inside quickly grabbed one of her father's swords left behind when Gothel took him away from her so she could defend herself with it and raised it in front of her, despite having only been taught to fight using the wooden swords Hook made for her, then she cried out, "Who are you? A witch? What are you doing here?"

The Princess stood up from the floor after she fell to it when she climbed inside and looked at the girl as she immediately responded assuredly, "It's okay! I'm not a witch, though I do know one and she is real a piece of work. But that doesn't matter. I promise… I didn't come here to hurt you. I came because I'm a friend of your father. I'm Ariel."

"You know my father?" Alice skeptically asked the red haired woman before her. "If that's true… tell me something about him only a true friend of his might know."

"I know he loves you more than life itself," Ariel answered her gently. "That it kills him to be apart from you every moment of every day. But you have to know he's done everything he can to try to free you from this tower. And he's done a lot of good to help people. He helped my husband save me from another cruel pirate who kept me his prisoner for months, seeking no reward in return. To the both of us he's a hero. You can't lose faith in him. He needs you to have faith in him. Because right now… Because now he's the one who is losing hope."

The girl in the tower looked at her worryingly and questioned, "What's happened? Is my Papa okay? That awful witch, Mother Gothel… She's hurt him again. Hasn't she? Please tell me the truth."

The mermaid looked at her sadly as she responded, "I'm afraid she has. I'm not exactly sure how, but he is in pain. And she wasn't the only one responsible either. So was the pirate and well… in a small way my husband and me were too, though it was absolutely unintentional. We didn't know coming to ask for his help would lead to him being hurt, but I'm sure he's going to be okay in time. If you'd like, we can look after him for you. I can… check in on him from time to time. Make sure that he's okay. I'm a mermaid, so I can travel between realms quickly and easily."

"I'd like that," Alice replied, then smiled at her. "My name's Alice."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Alice," Ariel sincerely answered with a smile as well, then suddenly thought of something she had in her possession in that moment which could help ease the girl's worry for her father, and Hook's pain.

The Princess quickly pulled up what Alice believed was a necklace she wore around her neck from beneath her tunic, and discovered it was really a small seashell when Ariel held it up in the palm of her hand so Alice could see it as she spoke to her again saying, "This shell… it's more than just any shell. It's mermaid magic. It can allow a person to talk to another across realms. So long as they have one like it themselves that is. Sadly, I think there's only just enough magic in it for a single, one sided conversation at most, but if you take it… I can swim home and collect another shell for your father so he can at least hear your voice. It might help to soothe him. To give him hope again. Even if just for a little while. Take it. Please."

When Hook's daughter did so, she stared down at it in awe and smiled when she raised her eyes to look again at her new friend, then she responded, "Thank you. So much, Ariel. You don't know what this means to me. But when you see my Papa… Can you tell him I'm okay? I mean I'm lonely. And I miss him so much, but… I am okay. I love him."

"When I get a shell to him, you'll be able to tell him all that for yourself," Ariel replied to her gently. "But of course I'll tell him too. Like I said… he's going to be alright. And I believe one day you'll be together again. Have hope, Alice. Even if your father can't."

Back in the Wish Realm, a few hours later…

Hook returned at last to his grotto thanks to his first mate, who had managed to collect a bushel of magic beans in his many travels through other realms as the new Captain of the Jolly Roger, and came back for the ship's truest Captain and Smee's most loyal friend upon receiving word he needed his help one last time. Once Smee brought him through a portal back to the Wish Realm per Hook's request, the Captain thanked him and simply walked away without ever telling his friend what happened since Gothel had magicked the first mate and his crew from the tavern.

Before heading back home, the pirate captain stopped within a tavern and traded a magic bean from the bushel for three bottles of rum, since magic beans were rare within the Wish Realm. Once he had them secure within his satchel he carried around over his shoulder, he left without hardly a word to anyone despite any heckles made by the other patrons surrounding him.

Once inside his grotto, Hook weakly collapsed to the ground having become ill with fever since he had been taken, and uncorked the first bottle so he could begin to drink away the anguish within his soul. Not only the pain caused by being separated from his daughter, but also his sorrow over how weak he had grown and upon giving in so easily to the witch who continued to haunt him even when he did good for the innocents who sought his help. And when he finished downing the first bottle, he immediately uncorked the second and began to drink it as well, and then the third too.

The rum he consumed over the next hour or so succeeded in helping him to become as drunk as Hook usually became after so many. However, his drunkenness didn't take away his pain at all or the memories from the last four days being Gothel's prisoner and slave, or even cause him to become unaware of his actions and movements. Not like three bottles of rum would do to any other person who drank so much thanks to his high tolerance to the liquor built up from his former life in Neverland filled with hate and a lust for revenge.

Hours passed through the night and when his anguish eventually became unbearable for him, in a dark moment of weakness, Hook stood shakily to his feet, then walked up to the edge of the platform overlooking the ocean before him as he agonizingly stared down into the deep dark waters beneath him. It was only a matter seconds before his mind was made up, and without removing his clothes or even his long leather coat, Hook swiftly stepped off the rocky ground allowing himself to fall into the waters so death could at last take him away from his misery.

The Captain lost his will to live because he lost what little mattered to him. Not only Alice, but also his honor, dignity, and least of all the Jolly Roger even if it was because he had given it over to the one man left in the world who still held high respect for him, deserved or not and Killian certainly didn't believe it was any longer.

While Hook sank, he didn't fight to rise back to the surface as darkness slowly claimed him until his eyes fell closed when he began to lose consciousness and he could no longer breathe. However, before he could fully drown like he sought, Ariel suddenly appeared as she swam up to him upon returning to the Wish Realm herself once she left the girl in the tower and carefully pulled him back to the surface, then struggled against his soaked through and heavy attire in order to lift the pirate back onto the stone platform that was his home to lay him down.

Without taking a second away from trying to save this man's life, Ariel didn't put on her bracelet given to her so she could transform her fishtail into legs, as she climbed up beside Hook onto the platform and leaned over him, then fought to get him breathing again until at last her ministrations worked.

Hook finally began to cough up the water he swallowed, then struggled to breathe as he gasped for the breath he couldn't seem to bring back under control. However, he never opened his eyes and he never regained consciousness on account of the fever raging within his body that the mermaid could feel simply by the touch of his skin.

Ariel thought about what she needed to do next and although she hated what she knew she had to do, she checked to make sure he wouldn't be waking again any time soon, then quickly dove back into the ocean so she could swim back to Eric who waited for her aboard his ship so she could bring her husband and others back to help her with the pirate captain.

Nearly three nights later, Killian slowly awakened as his mind fought its way back through the fog keeping him disoriented and under his fever's thrall. The only voice he could hear, despite Ariel and Eric being the ones leaning over him as they did all they could to bring him back to awareness while the mermaid spoke and cared for him, was his daughter's voice like she was crying out for him, pleading with him to save her. However, at last the fever broke and the Captain finally awoke only to find the Princess and her Prince above him instead.

"Hey… it's okay," Ariel whispered to him tenderly, as she gently laid another cold compress across his forehead while she continued her ministrations. "You're safe now and… and you're gonna be okay."

Hook struggled to sit up or at the very least to move away from the mermaid who once again had her legs instead of her fishtail since she and her husband have been on land now for the last few days. However, neither of them allowed him to and he found he couldn't fight against them because he was far too weak.

The Captain finally gave in and continued to lie on his back while he looked darkly between her and Eric, discovering that he was now lying on layers of blankets between him and the ground with a pillow behind his head, then crossly he asked, "Why… why did you sa… save me? What are you even… doing here? I told you to go. You should have forgot… forgotten about me."

The little mermaid looked down on him sternly as she answered, "And if we had, you would be dead. Eric and I tried to find you after that horrible witch took you a week ago, but we couldn't until a few nights later and we followed you back here. I know you may not be able to see it as a good thing right now, but I'm glad I found you when I did. Why would you try to kill yourself? Especially when you still have a daughter who loves you?"

"Why do you care?" Killian questioned again. "I told your Prince, my… my daughter's lost to me. And it's my fault. I'm a pirate. I'm hardly… worth saving."

"That wasn't true when you gave yourself up to the real villain in order to protect me and Eric," she responded sadly.

Eric then stated, "It wasn't true back when you agreed to help me seeking no reward in return."

Upon remembering the reward offered to him, Hook weakly turned his head to glance over at the treasure chests which the Prince, Sebastian, and their men had brought with them before he agreed and then replied, "You can take those back. I don't want your treasure. Any of it. Please… just go and leave me alone."

"We wanted to thank you, Hook," Ariel answered despite what the Captain asked of them. "I know you don't think so, but to me you are almost every bit the white knight my husband is."

"Don't!" Killian suddenly retorted angrily, then struggled once more to sit until Eric and Sebastian, who had been standing nearby in silence until now, both finally helped him up so he could lean back against one of the platform's walls. "Don't… ever call me that again! I'm no white knight. Not to you, nor to anyone. I never was. I was only a fool for briefly thinking I could have been for the one person care about the most. My daughter. But I'm just an old pirate who plans to live the rest of his days… however long they might be thanks to you, working towards becoming an old drunkard until I die. All alone like the failure I am. That's why I came here."

When the royals and their friend saw the sadness in his eyes while they watched him pull out what they quickly saw to be a black rook chess piece, Eric quietly asked, "How did your daughter wind up in that tower? Why do you blame yourself so harshly for what's happened to her?"

Hook then looked over at them again as he coldly responded, "I don't recall ever telling you she was trapped in a tower. How do you know that?"

"When we finally found you… it… it was… just before you arrived at the tower," the Princess nervously replied to him upon seeing the anger in his eyes, momentarily replacing his despair. "And we followed you there. We saw where your daughter's been imprisoned and then watched when you tried to climb up the tower until you fell, only… we didn't see why. And you ran off so quickly…"

"You shouldn't have been there," Killian then answered when the mermaid cut herself off upon seeing his sadness return, overpowering his anger. "People only know of the rumors that have spread about me. How I've given up my lust for revenge against my crocodile and have grown soft. But few know about… about her. My Alice."

The Captain paused briefly to collect himself again, then quietly he continued, "That witch disguised herself as a damsel in distress seeking freedom from that tower when she too had been imprisoned there. I climbed it and found a way to help her not knowing she was in fact the witch I had heard lived nearby. I freed her, but before I had, I fell for her seductions and her beauty. Still while in her disguise. That night, she gave birth to my daughter while I slept thanks to the magic flower that allowed for her to speed up the process and then break free. But for her to be so, someone in her bloodline had to remain. She used me just to create a child, then abandoned her to die within that tower. I gave up the pirate's life so I could raise her and care for her until… until two years ago. Alice was losing hope of ever becoming free more and more every day, so I finally sought out a powerful weapon that could free her despite the dangerous path it would take to get there. Gothel found a way to poison my heart so that I can't ever be near my daughter without her killing me and if I do go near… Well, you saw what happens. The poison over my heart flares up and I feel like I'm being stabbed by a million knives. I would go through that kind of pain every minute of every day just to be near her because not to be is so much worse. But… I can't allow my death to be on her conscience. So… instead I'm here. I've sought out any way I can find to save her, but I've only ever failed her and now I've given up any hope that I will ever free her. And what's worse… she knows I've failed her in a moment of weakness when I allowed myself to fall prey to that witch's plans for me. I dishonored Alice and myself when I fought a duel to try to defend Captain Hook's honor, which allowed Gothel to poison my heart and Alice knew it. Honor I never had. So you tell me, Your Highnesses… am I really this white knight you thought me to be? The white knight my daughter used to see me as?"

Tears fell from Ariel's eyes, as well as Killian's own while he told them his tale until he finished and she gently wiped the drops away from her own cheeks, then at last she spoke again with remorse saying, "Oh, Hook… I'm so sorry. You may have made some mistakes, but we all have. I almost lost my chance to be with Eric years ago because of mistakes that I made. I lost my voice, and almost lost my family… my own family who still live under the sea that is. But I fixed them and Eric saved me too. Just as he helped to do days ago thanks to you. He admitted he never would have were it not for you. So yes… I do see you as a hero. Whether you believe it or not. You're wrong to think so little of yourself. And your daughter… she doesn't hate you. She loves you. So much. She misses you terribly, but she knows how much you love her and still hopes one day you'll be together again."

"You can't possibly know that," Hook responded curtly once more when he looked over at the mermaid after she spoke of Alice again.

"Actually… she does," the Prince then replied. "My wife climbed the tower after you left to speak with your daughter. So she could reassure her you haven't given up on her or forgotten about her."

Ariel immediately continued, "She's a lovely, beautiful girl. And so brave. You would be so proud of her. I reminded her how much you love her… that you think about her all the time and that you've done everything you can possibly do to free her. I also told her that you've helped people on your quest to do so, including me and Eric. She sees you as a hero too, Hook."

Then, Ariel looked over again at Eric, who picked up a small chest from the ground where he kept it until it was time for them to give it to Hook and once he handed it over to his wife, she added, "When I was there, I also gave Alice a small shell I wore on a chain around my neck. This shell allowed for me to talk with Eric whenever we wound up in different realms. For his travels, or mine. Mermaid magic. I told her that there was just enough for one more message to get through so that she could talk to you if she wanted to. And she was so happy."

"I have a shell for you so that you'll be able to hear her voice when she does," the Princess went on when she opened the chest to reveal a larger shell she collected from home for him too. "And not only that, but… if you ever need my help again… with anything, just blow into the shell and I'll hear your call wherever I am and I'll come. It's the very least we can give you for all you've done for us."

"I'm not sure… I can ever… ever thank you," Killian finally answered once he could find his words again, then quickly wiped away the tear that escaped from the corner of his eye like the ones before while he stared down at the pink shell now in his hands after he had taken it from the little mermaid. "You're both wrong about me despite your kindness. And I don't know how to find the hope I've lost that I will ever free my daughter, or see her again, or even hold her in my arms again… But this… This certainly helps to ease my troubled soul if only just a little. So thank… thank you."

The Prince gently patted his shoulder and then responded, "You're welcome, Hook. And thank you. For helping me save the woman I love. Ariel was right. I couldn't have done so without your help. I promise you, I never would have come to you had I known I was being used as a pawn to get you to come out of hiding."

Hook shook his head, then looked over at him again as he replied, "You had no way of knowing. Trying to end my life because of my pain was foolish, though I… Well, never mind. It doesn't matter anymore. I can't promise I won't try again, but for now I'll be alright. You both should go. You have three months of being separated to make up for. No need to spend another moment here with me."

"You really are a good man and our friend now… whether you think you deserve to be or not," Ariel answered again, then leaned in closer so she could kiss his cheek in gratitude, while Eric simply reached out to shake his hand in order to show the Captain his own. "Take care of yourself, Hook. Until we see you again…"

And with that said, the mermaid and her Prince finally left the pirate's grotto to return to Eric's ship so they could at last sail home together. Over the next several years, Hook, Ariel, and Prince Eric would come to be good friends even when Killian continued to fall in his downward spiral as he became the old drunkard he knew he would eventually become on account of all his drinking. He even became fat and barely ever left his grotto at all anymore except to buy or steal rum, or rob the wealthy for what little fortune he collected over the years. Until he heard word of a Princess who had been kidnapped by the Evil Queen. He didn't know it then, but meeting this Princess from another realm would eventually lead him to confronting another version of himself who would place him on his path to redemption and back to his daughter.

However, tonight Killian weakly laid back down within the comforts of the blankets the royals left behind for him as he continued to hold the shell while he waited anxiously to hear the sound of his daughter's voice. A few hours passed and he was nearly asleep when at last her voice came through loud and clear.

"Papa?" Alice spoke to him quietly, unsure if her father could really hear her or what she could possibly say to him after two years. "Papa, I… I miss you so much. But I want you to know that I'm okay. I am. I've continued painting since that night. There are times that it's hard to, but… But I do because doing so makes me feel closer to you. And I've had lots of tea parties with the stuffed animals and dolls you've gotten for me. Oh… and I even continue to play chess even if I am only playing myself."

His daughter suddenly stopped talking and Killian thought the magic within the shell had worn off so she couldn't talk to him any longer, but then she continued sadly, "Papa, I don't blame you for leaving me. What happened to you… it wasn't your fault. It was that witch's fault because she poisoned your heart. I only blame her. I love you, Papa. So much. I need you to know that. I hope you do. I will see you again one day and we will be together again. Good night, Papa."

Once he knew she was gone when her voice faded, Killian wiped away the tears in his eyes and then he whispered, "Good night. I love you too, Starfish."

The End


	23. Thank You

Thank you to all who have read and have written reviews for my story! You are much appreciated. I am so incredibly grateful for your kindness and generosity. I'm deeply honored and I hope to hear from you all again, should you choose to read and enjoy more of my work in the future. There will be more stories to come. Best of wishes to you all!

Sincerely,

Genevieve Kelly


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